ENKA and GE Vernova have announced the start of commercial operations at the 852 MW combined cycle Kırklareli power plant in Kırklareli in northern Türkiye. The plant is based on GE Vernova’s 9HA.02 gas turbine, making it the first HA-powered plant in the country; it is regarded as a significant milestone in the modernisation of Türkiye’s power generation fleet.
Under the terms of a multi-year agreement, GE Vernova will also provide long-term maintenance services. “With the successful commissioning of the Kirklareli power plant, ENKA has achieved a significant milestone, strengthening its position as both investor, EPC contractor, and operator of one of Türkiye’s most efficient combined cycle facilities,” said Mr. Mehmet Tara, chairman of the board and president of ENKA.
The commercial operation of the Kırklareli plant comes at a time when Türkiye is endeavouring to modernise its power system to meet rising electricity demand through a more efficient, resilient, and diversified generation mix. According to the International Energy Agency, natural gas power generation in Türkiye has expanded significantly over the past two decades and today represents a key part of the country’s energy mix, supplying more than a quarter of its electricity.
For the Kırklareli Power Plant, GE Vernova supplied its combined-cycle power generation equipment, including a 9HA.02 gas turbine with H78 generator, an STF-D650 steam turbine, and a triple-pressure HRSG (heat recovery steam generator). All engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning works were executed by ENKA. The facility is expected to be among the most efficient combined-cycle gas power plants in the country, reaching above 63% net efficiency in combined-cycle mode.
With this project, GE Vernova’s total installed gas power capacity in Türkiye has reached 13.5 GW. GE has been involved in the country’s energy infrastructure for more than 75 years: today, it has an installed base of approximately 33.5 GW across gas power, wind, hydro, and solar plant, as well as manufacturing and R&D capabilities through its Gebze transformer factory.
