Türkiye: Cengiz Holding Builds Solar Power Plant in Gazipaşa: Massive Investment

Cengiz Electric has relocated its solar energy project, which faced two obstacles in Elmalı, to Gazipaşa. The environmental impact assessment process has begun for the 970 million lira investment. The project site is registered as a summer pasture in the land registry.

Cengiz Holding is building a solar power plant in Gazipaşa: A massive investment

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process has been initiated for a solar power plant and energy storage facility planned by Cengiz Electricity Wholesale Sales Inc. on a 76.34-hectare site in Gazipaşa district of Antalya. The new location for the investment, which was previously unable to be realized at two different points in Elmalı due to negative opinions from institutions, is now Şahinler Neighborhood. The project, valued at approximately 970 million lira, will be reassessed due to land use characteristics in the region.

CENGIZ HOLDING BUILDING A SOLAR POWER PLANT IN GAZİPAŞA: MASSIVE INVESTMENT

SOLAR POWER PLANT ON 76-HECTARE SITE IN GAZİPAŞA

Cengiz Electricity Wholesale Sales Inc. is planning to implement the "CENSTORAGE-11 Cengiz Solar Power Plant and Energy Storage Facility" project on parcel 1 of block 450 in Şahinler Neighborhood, Gazipaşa. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) application file prepared for the investment, which is expected to cover a total area of 763,400 square meters, has been submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.

Within the scope of the project, a solar power plant with an installed capacity of 50 MWp/50 MWe is planned to be established, with a target of generating approximately 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The plant is planned to use 100,000 solar panels with a power output of 500 watts and 10 inverters. In addition to electricity generation, battery systems for energy storage also form part of the investment.

According to a report by Yatırımlar Dergisi dated November 4, 2026, the project cost in the application file prepared by En-Çev Energy Inc. was stated to be 969,901,453 TL. The same report mentioned a storage capacity of 100 MWe/100 MWh, while previous project information and other news reports cited a capacity of 50 MWh. The exact technical capacity of the storage unit needs to be clarified through the EIA documents.

Faced Two Obstacles in ELMALI

According to a report by Antalya Körfez Gazetesi journalist Ertuğrul Gün, the first location for the CENSTORAGE-11 project was the Elmalı district. In 2024, the company applied to build a solar power plant and storage facility on a 74.93-hectare area located in parcel 1853, block 0. The project's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process began on April 29, 2024.

Following the initial application, a Public Information and Participation Meeting was held on July 25, 2024. However, the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) issued a negative opinion on the investment, stating that the area where the plant was to be built fell within the boundaries of the Elmalı Karagöl Embankment Storage Project.

In its assessment, DSİ noted that the solar power plant was located at levels close to the Karagöl base elevation and that the facility area could be submerged if the embankment storage project were implemented. Based on this opinion, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change terminated the EIA process on August 16, 2024.

Obstacle of grazing land at the second address

Following the failure of its initial attempt, the company sought to relocate the project to Yuva Village, also within the boundaries of Elmalı. This time, an area of approximately 75 hectares was identified on parcels 241 and 490 of block 282. After a license amendment, a new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process was initiated on March 7, 2025.

In the second application, the EIA Report Special Format was obtained, and the process moved to the report preparation stage. However, institutional opinions regarding land use hindered the project's progress. The process was suspended again after the Antalya Provincial Governorate deemed the request to change the allocation purpose of the pasture land inappropriate.

The EIA process for the project in Yuva Village was officially terminated by a letter dated October 23, 2026, and numbered E-48331039-220.01-17065945, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Consequently, the company's second attempt in Elmalı also proved unsuccessful. Approximately two weeks later, it emerged that the investment had been relocated to Gazipaşa.

The new project area is registered as a summer pasture in the land registry.

The land characteristics of the newly designated project area in Şahinler Neighborhood of Gazipaşa will be one of the decisive factors in evaluating the investment. According to the records of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, parcel 1 of block 450 is classified as "Yaylak" (summer pasture).

Data from the Environmental Zoning Plan indicates that the project site falls within planning functions designated as "Areas to Be Protected for Their Natural Character," "Agricultural Land," and "Second-Class Roads." On the land cover map of the General Directorate of Forestry, the same area is classified as "Non-Forest Openings."

These classifications do not mean that the land can be directly used for energy investment. In particular, the "Yaylak" designation, agricultural use, and the protection provisions in the environmental zoning plan make the assessments of the relevant authorities crucial. The fact that the second application in Elmalı was terminated due to common grazing land allocation procedures also makes the legal status of the new area in Gazipaşa significant.

The project's construction will take eight months.

According to the disclosed plans for the investment, the construction of the solar power plant and storage facility is targeted for completion in approximately eight months. The project is expected to employ 80 workers during the construction phase and nine during the operational period.

The project's economic lifespan is calculated at 49 years, with a pre-license period of 30 months. The direct current electricity generated by the solar panels at the plant will be converted to alternating current using inverters. The storage system will enable a portion of the generated energy to be used later.

Targeting 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually

The planned power plant in Gazipaşa has an annual electricity production target of 100 million kilowatt-hours. When calculated based on the 50-megawatt installed capacity, this figure corresponds to an annual capacity utilization rate of approximately 22.8 percent. This rate is a mathematical calculation derived from the project's stated production target and does not represent actual production data.

The establishment of the energy storage facility will allow a portion of the electricity generated during daylight hours to be supplied to the grid at different times. However, the storage capacity represents a separate technical metric distinct from the plant's total annual electricity production.

NO FINAL DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ON THE PROJECT IN GAZİPAŞA

The review of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) application file and the initiation of the process do not imply that final environmental approval has been granted for the project. The EIA evaluation will address the potential environmental impacts of the investment, land use conditions, opinions from relevant institutions, and the necessary precautionary measures.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change’s statements on EIA practices, the views and suggestions of local residents are considered during the public information and participation phase. Citizens who may be affected by the project can submit their opinions to the relevant Provincial Governor’s Office or the Ministry until the EIA process is completed.

Regarding the new investment in Gazipaşa, permits for the use of land with summer pasture status, evaluations under agricultural and pasture regulations, and compliance with the environmental layout plan are key issues. Whether the CENSTORAGE-11 project, which has been relocated twice, can be implemented at its third location will become clear after the EIA process and the opinions obtained from the relevant institutions.