Turkey-Denmark wind energy cooperation

Fourteen Turkish renewable energy companies, accompanying Turkish President Abdullah Gul on his trip to Denmark, attended a Turkish-Danish business forum in Copenhagen on Wednesday.

Denmark’s consul general in Istanbul, Soren Robenhagen, who was also on the trip, told Anadolu Agency that his country’s success in meeting its energy demand from renewable energy can be model for Turkey.

Denmark was 99 percent foreign-energy source dependent at the time of the 1970s oil crisis, said Robenhagen and added, “thanks to long term green energy policies, today we are one of the energy-exporting EU countries.”

Robenhagen said the country aimed to source just over half of its electricity from wind turbines by 2020 and all of its energy from renewable sources in 2050.

Denmark’s wind sector needs new markets, and Turkey can be a good option, said Seda Kayrak, trade manager and team leader on energy and environment at Istanbul consulate general.

Kayrak also announced that they will organize an activity for fostering cooperation between Turkish and Danish private sector and universities on human resource and know-how in the wind sector at the November 4, Turkey Wind Energy Congress in Istanbul.

First two congresses were organized in November, 2012 and 2013 in Istanbul’s WOW Convention Center by Turkish Wind Energy Association. Almost 2,000 participants attended from foreign and local private energy companies, government offices, universities.