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Comparative analysis of first nuclear power plant projects in Turkey
In this thesis, the question of "what are the issues to be considered and the problems should be addressed for Turkey's prospective NPP project" has been tried to be answered. Turkey's two intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) regarding to NPP project with Russian Federation and Japan were compared and recommendations were made to show how Turkey will address the issues for prospective NPP projects. The fact that Turkey has been interested in nuclear energy for about 60 years but could not construct any NPP, that some deficiencies emerged regarding some topics in IGAs emerged as the reason for presenting this study. In this framework, strategic planning techniques were applied as a method including comparative and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis to reach the purpose and explore the research question of this thesis. Within the framework of SWOT analyzes; the common strengths of Akkuyu and Sinop NPP projects are seen as high installed capacity, long operating term, low operating and maintaining cost while the high tariffs of both NPPs compared to the market prices, long construction periods, high initial investment cost and inadequate legal and institutional framework emerge as the common weaknesses of both projects. Provisions regarding to the technology transfer, development of human resources and domestic industry are seen opportunities for both projects while the possibility of a nuclear accident, the problem of public acceptance, possible delays in schedule and cost increases in the construction of the NPP were seen as common threats. When we compare the Akkuyu and Sinop NPP projects, it is seen that both projects consist of four units and the construction costs are close to each other, In Akkuyu NPP project; the Turkish party guarantees to purchase approximately half of generated electricity from the all unites for 15 years with 12.35 US cents/kWh (kilowatt-hour) tariff while Turkish party guarantees to purchase from 100 % of generated electricity from four units for 20 years with "10.80 – 10.83 US (United States) cents/kWh + fuel costs" on average tariff in Sinop NPP project. In both projects, the Turkish industry is considered to have production capacity for non-nuclear products but it has been observed that the Turkish industry has a lack of experience in producing nuclear safety related products. While Turkish students get education in Russian Federation in Akkuyu NPP project, it is envisaged to establish vocational schools and universities in Turkey in Sinop NES project. In the light of all these data for the prospective NPP projects; the Turkish side may wish to consider investing in large-scale plants and conducting R&D (research and development) studies for small modular reactors (SMR), owning 51 percent of the shares of the NPP in the long run may for ensuring security of supply. In addition, Turkish side may wish to consider, setting concrete steps regarding technology transfer, establishing technical and vocational high schools and university departments of international quality in the field of nuclear energy in Turkey and applying off-set applications to provide minimum level of equipment from the local industry for developing nuclear energy infrastructure. On the other hand, clear provisions for radioactive waste management can be established to eliminate uncertainties regarding waste process.
The role of renewable energy in turkey's energy transformation and analyzing government support mechanism toward renewable energy markets
There has been increasing interest and need for renewable energy resources among the energy resources in the world. Developments relating to renewable energies have been better in terms of cost and efficiency. Ratio of renewable energy resources in energy consumption in developed and developing countries has been rising. Increasing worldwide usage of renewable energies brings significant technological advancements in this domain. In this thesis, outlook and future expectations of successful countries in a usage of renewable energies have been observed and suggestions have been proposed toward what can be done to increase the potential of Turkey in the sector. In this study, comparative assessments have been made between giving incentives to producing per MWh electricity from renewable energy resources on the public budget impact and importing natural gas to substitute electricity produced by renewables, unless the governmental supports renewables sufficiently or at all, on current account deficit impact.
The impact of remote working on Türkiye's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions: Learning from the experiences of COVID-19 era
The first Covid-19 case was announced on March 11, 2020 in Türkiye. The transformation of the disease into a global epidemic has radically changed the way of doing business. Remote working emerged as an important alternative to office working. As part of this transformation, Türkiye put in force this practice in certain months of 2020 and 2021, which led to serious decline in energy consumption. The first aim of this study is to find out the contribution of remote working on reducing Türkiye's energy consumption in car fuel (diesel, gasoline, LPG) and electricity in case the country's whole potential is used. The second aim is to reveal the contribution of this decline in energy consumption on reducing Türkiye's greenhouse gas emissions. The third goal is to determine the possible drivers for the permanent implementation of remote working when the outbreak is over. Although it is presumable to expect a fall in car fuel consumption as a result of remote working, this study revealed that it also decreased electricity consumption. According to the results, in a scenario where Türkiye's remote working potential is fully utilized, the country can reduce 1.8 million tons of oil equivalent of it's energy consumption which corresponds to 1.66% of the total energy consumption and 1.4 billion USD dollars with 2019 prices. With a total of 7.73 million tons carbon dioxide equivalent GHG emission mitigation, Türkiye will be able to reduce its transport related emissions by 3.2% and electricity related emissions by 3.79%. Therefore, considering that Türkiye is a net fossil fuel importer country and a party to the Paris Agreement, it is necessary to promote remote and hybrid working as a complementary energy efficiency and climate change policy. While this study aims to reveal the benefits of working remotely in reducing the consumption of refined petroleum products and electricity under normal conditions by making use of the experiences of the pandemic period, it is beneficial to investigate the effect of remote working on energy consumption, including natural gas, during energy crises such as the Russia-Ukraine War in future studies.
Investigation of the factors affecting wind energy investments in türkiye
In Türkiye, it can be observed a remarkable development in the renewable energies, particularly in the last ten years (IEA, 2021). The renewable electricity production has increased three times in the last ten years. In 2022, wind power installed capacity reached 11 944 MW in Türkiye (TWEA, 2023).The renewable share in the total power production attained 52 per cent in 2020 (MENR, 2022). Türkiye is expected to attain even surpass the target of 38.8 per cent of power production from the renewable energies determined with Eleventh Development Plan between 2019 and 2023 (IEA, 2021). Türkiye possess several ambitious goals for example Türkiye plans to reach 29,6 GW wind installed capacity in 2035 (MENR, 2022). In Türkiye, it is very important to raise the share of wind power in the domestic energy resources. Especially, wind energy can contribute to decrease the trade deficit of Türkiye. Also, Türkiye's population increases over the years therefore Türkiye needs to produce more energy to cover its population's energy demand. In this context, the investment in wind power is very vital for Türkiye. In this study, the wind energy costs are researched to understand the dynamics of wind energy investment. The cost parameters of the wind energy can be classified as the investment costs, capacity factor, operational and maintenance costs, the turbine life span, and the credit payments etc. The economic potential of wind power is also researched and it is found as 48 000 MW. In this thesis, the interviews with crucial wind power companies are realized to comprehend the factors affecting wind power also some factors affecting economic potential of wind power in Türkiye. Lastly, wind energy companies gave crucial policy recommendations about how to utilize sufficiently wind energy potential in Türkiye.
Assessing the energy sources of Ghana and the impacts of their usage on the economy and environment
This research investigates the interrelationship between energy use, economic growth, and environmental impacts in Ghana. Employing a combination of qualitative techniques, it scrutinizes the nation's energy landscape, delineating sources, consumption patterns and projections. The analyses unveiled escalating energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions over the past decade, underscoring sustainability challenges. Traditional biomass remains pervasively utilized for household needs, precipitating indoor air pollution and deforestation. Despite expanded electricity accessibility, high tariffs and unreliable supply adversely affect households and enterprises. Although fossil fuels dominate Ghana's energy portfolio, unexploited renewable potential exists. Integral recommendations encompass diversifying the energy mix through investments in solar, wind and hydroelectric power to mitigate emissions and reliance on biomass and imported oil. Additionally, targeted financing and subsidies could facilitate clean energy adoption among low-income populations. Robust legal frameworks, comprehensive energy policies, and enhanced institutional coordination are vital to address existing limitations. Further academic inquiry should investigate the viability of renewable energy ventures, the impacts of energy subsidies, and the potential for public-private partnerships. In summary, this research aimed to provide salient insights into Ghana's intricate energy landscape to inform policymaking and future scholarly efforts toward a sustainable energy future.
Research on the promised benefits of integrated reporting for companies in the energy sector
The global energy sector is facing a major challenge: adapting to the impacts of climate change while meeting society's growing energy needs at reasonable prices. Energy companies need to be aware of these challenges, identify risks and opportunities accurately and in a timely manner, and create a sustainable corporate roadmap. This study analyses the potential benefits of integrated reporting for energy companies, which offers a new business model based on integrated thinking and value creation. The impact of integrated reporting on a company's market value is analyzed using an econometric panel data methodology. The sample consists of twelve energy companies listed on Borsa İstanbul for the period 2014-2023. The regression equation includes book value and net profit as continuous explanatory variables and integrated reporting, sustainability report, corporate governance index and sustainability index as dummy variables. To account for heterogeneity at the company level, the fixed effects model, the random-effects model and the pooled data model are statistically compared, with the fixed effects model being chosen. The latter model shows that book value is the most influential factor, while the corporate governance index is also positive and significant. The publication of a sustainability report has a nonsignificant but positive effect, while the inclusion of the variables in the sustainability index, net profit, and preparation of an integrated report have negative but non-significant effects. These results suggest that market participants value good corporate governance as much as a good financial position reflected in book value while signaling the financial potential of focusing on the benefits of integrated thinking.
The effects of the russian federation-Ukraine conflict on the european union's efforts for energy security and the future of europe's energy landscape
The Russian Federation-Ukraine conflict has caused the European Union (EU) to face an unprecedented energy crisis. The inability of the EU to implement the principles presented in its policy documents during past crises, including the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the continuation of energy relations with the Russian Federation as before were the most important reasons behind the current crisis. In this study, the dynamics of the EU, Ukraine and Russian Federation energy nexus and the roles of other actors who are or may be involved in the equation were analyzed and the changes in the EU's energy imports were presented primarily. In this respect, it has been observed that there has been a dramatic increase in the EU's liquefied natural gas (LNG) consumption and imports. With the commencement of the conflicts, the EU has reacted swiftly, by taking advantage of the infrastructure provided by its previous policy documents and the REPowerEU Plan, which addresses climate targets and energy security in the same framework, has been at the center of this reaction. When the impacts of the REPowerEU Plan were analyzed, it has been observed that the Russian Federation-Ukraine conflict affected EU's energy security efforts positively, but there are still opportunities and challenges that need to be addressed in order to fully ensure EU energy security. In particular, it has been identified that the significant increase of the share of particular supplier countries and energy sources in EU's energy mix and the dominance of particular supplier countries on the supply of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) required for renewable energy are of great importance. Subsequently, possible pathways for the future of Europe's energy environment have been put forward, recognizing that the approach to these opportunities and challenges will determine the course of EU's energy security. In this regard, it was concluded that the EU's orientation towards renewable energy by producing solutions for uninterrupted supply of REEs, is the ideal course of action in the context of ensuring energy security and climate objectives together.
Effects of the use of electric vehicles in road transport on the nationally determined contribution of Türkiye
As of 2022, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reached 50.12 Gt CO2 -eq, with approximately 76% of these emissions originating from energy production activities based on the combustion of fossil fuels. The transportation sector, which is evaluated within the energy sector, accounts for approximately 16% of total global emissions. The Paris Agreement, which was adopted in 2015, aims to limit the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to restrict the rise to 1.5°C. However, in 2024, the global average surface temperature was recorded as 1.55 °C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average, marking the first time the 1.5 °C threshold set out in the Paris Agreement has been exceeded. The agreement is also based on a cycle that requires countries to submit more ambitious climate actions, called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), every five years. Türkiye ratified the UNFCCC in 2004 and became a party the Paris Agreement in 2021. Türkiye has announced an objective of net zero emissions by 2053 and has updated its NDC by increasing its 2030 emissions reduction target from 21% to 41% compared to business-as-usual scenario. Türkiye has outlined specific policies for the transport sector in its NDC. This thesis undertakes an analysis of the impact of electrical passenger cars penetration on GHG emissions in Türkiye and assesses the contribution of this transformation to Türkiye's NDC targets for 2030. In this context, the primary objective was to calculate the GHG emissions from passenger cars in 2022. The existing passenger car fleet was then classified according to fuel type, vehicle segment, and Euro emission standard. The calculation of emission and energy consumption values was conducted utilizing the COPERT 5 model. Subsequently, a regression model incorporating variables such as GDP, population, and urbanization rate was used to project the vehicle fleet for 2030, which was then disaggregated using the same parameters. The scenario analysis encompassed four primary scenarios. The Reference Scenario, the NDC Scenario, the High Scenario, and the Low Scenario. The findings indicate that the NDC scenario projects a reduction of 5.38 Mt CO₂ -eq compared to the reference scenario. This reduction corresponds to a 13% decrease, indicating that approximately 36% of the targeted 14.98 Mt emission reduction in the transportation sector could be achieved solely through electric passenger cars. The findings suggest that electric vehicle policies have the potential to deliver additional emission reductions under Türkiye's future NDCs. This thesis introduces a novel, empirically grounded approach by employing the COPERT 5 model in combination with field-based and socioeconomic data to estimate passenger car emissions in Türkiye. By providing a detailed and policy-relevant analysis aligned with the NDC, it demonstrates the emission reduction potential of electric vehicles and contributes to the development of targeted climate actions in the transport sector.