Noting that the ministry made this decision based on requests by domestic and foreign investors in line with an incentives package, which will be offered by the government to designated industries, Ergün said the businesses will be able to focus on the production of iron, steel and cement as well as the generation of energy in these zones. He added that the decision was made with the support of the Ministry of Customs and Trade.
Ergün focused in particular on a project to generate solar energy at a cost of $10.4 billion, which will make Turkey an energy hub. The project will be centered at the Karapınar Industrial Zone to be established in Konya, where electricity will be generated using solar power in addition to the production of the necessary technological equipment for solar power generation. According to the proposal, solar power equipment will be produced in Turkey for the first time, both creating an industrial zone and cutting imports of this equipment.
In Karapınar, known for its potential for generating solar power, businesses will also be able to produce equipment and devices such as photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar control units, inverters, battery regulators and batteries. The zone is planned to be established on 5,900 hectares of land in Konya.
According to information provided by the minister, the second industrial zone will be established in the municipality of Filyos in the northern province of Zonguldak, and the focus of investments there will be the production of iron, steel and cement in addition to strategic investments such as the construction of a shipyard and power plants. Investors will be able to take advantage of the port of Filyos and the zone is expected to be located on an area of 400 hectares.
Stating that both projects have been submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister for approval, he implied the ministry plans to request that the Cabinet broaden the extent of the incentives package to include investments in these two industrial zones. “It will be possible to obtain all the licenses, including the environmental impact report [ÇED], within three months. Furthermore, we plan to cover the expenses for nationalization and infrastructure,” he said.
The minister explained that investments in these industrial zones will be technology driven and focus on research and development, which in return will contribute majorly to the country’s economy. He stated, “According to our projections, when the industrial zones begin operating, they will provide employment to about 55,000-60,000 people.”
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Source : todayszaman.com
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