“Hybrid solution” proposal for hydroelectric power plants against drought risk
HESİAD President Elvan Tuğsuz Güven: “The way has been opened for auxiliary source (hybrid) production facilities to compensate for the production losses of HEPP projects.”
- Published July 1, 2025 11:46
While the ongoing lack of rainfall and adverse climate conditions throughout Türkiye increase the risk of drought, supporting hydroelectric power plants (HES) with hybrid energy projects stands out as a solution to this problem.
Elvan Tuğsuz Güven, President of the Hydroelectric Power Plants Industrialists and Business People Association (HESİAD), told AA that drought caused a decrease in surface flow water, which in turn caused some losses in energy production in HEPPs.
Güven pointed out that urgent climate action plans should be prepared for the effective management of this process and said, “Since we do not know exactly how long the dry period we are in will last and when it will repeat cyclically, we think that measures should be taken without delay.”
Güven stated that one of the most effective solutions in combating drought is to increase the production capacity of HEPPs with terrestrial and floating solar power plants (SPP), and said, "The way has been opened for auxiliary source (hybrid) production facilities to compensate for the production losses of HEPP projects."
Emphasizing the necessity of an emergency action plan, Güven noted that hybrid permit processes and connection permits for areas allocated to energy production, provided that they remain within the distribution region and are obtained from a single source, will largely eliminate the problems experienced.
Güven explained that harmonizing the circulars of the State Hydraulic Works (DSI) regarding hybrid energy investments and the regulations of the Turkish Electricity Transmission Company (TEİAŞ) regarding capacity restrictions is critical for accelerating investments, and that simplifying and accelerating permitting processes will support sustainable energy production.
HEPPs play a strategic role for agriculture
Emphasizing that HEPPs play an important role not only in terms of energy but also in terms of agricultural irrigation, Güven continued as follows:
“In addition to energy production, hydropower projects also serve agricultural irrigation. It is of great importance to accelerate irrigation modernization projects included in the investment program by DSI in order to control water consumption in agricultural activities. By expanding the scope of irrigation modernization projects, it will be ensured that all stakeholders using the same water benefit from water fairly. DSI is working on this issue.”
Güven stated that diversifying renewable energy investments will strengthen Türkiye's energy supply security, and said, "As the share of renewable energy resources in total energy production increases, the importance of the supply security and balancing role of HEPPs in the system will increase further."
Emphasizing that taking the necessary measures to combat drought without delay is of vital importance not only for agricultural and vital sustainability but also for energy supply security, Güven noted the following:
“If the way is opened for new hydroelectric power plant projects and investments in solar power plants and wind power plants (RES) are accelerated, hydroelectric power plant projects with an installed capacity of over 32,400 megawatts may fall to second place in the total installed capacity. However, this does not reduce the importance of hydroelectric power plants in terms of energy supply security. On the contrary, as the share of renewable energy resources in Turkey’s energy production pie increases, the importance and value of hydroelectric power plants in the system’s supply security will increase even more.”
AA
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