Municipalities rush to energy project loans

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Some 42 municipalities and three special provincial administrations have applied for the loans that a state-run bank is offering for their energy generation projects.

Local governments in Turkey rushed to obtain renewable energy project loans provided by the state-run İller Bank. 42 municipalities and three special provincial administrations applied for support.

Local administrations will be able to produce their own electricity by transferring lighting, refinement and other systems to renewable energy with the support of İller Bank, a Turkish investment and development bank.

The bank is granting loans for lightning of all kinds as well as the customization of urban decorative lighting systems in line with renewable energy sources to the facilities and services of municipalities.

İller Bank has received applications from 35 municipalities and special provincial administrations for generating electricity from geothermal energy and from 10 municipalities for generating electricity from wind and solar energy.

İller Bank examines the applications regarding technical aspects, and the evaluation process of projects is finalized within three months, said Erdinç Kapusuz, the renewable energy project manager at İller Bank’s Project Department. He added that they would hold tenders for approved projects.

Kapusuz noted the fact that street and city lighting will fall under the responsibility of municipalities as of 2015 will add an extra financial burden to local administrations.

Local governments can use the loans supplied by İller Bank for the lighting of parks, gardens, streets, municipality culture centers, social facilities, car parks, signals and security systems.