Kalehan Enerji’s Clean Electricity Production Certified

Kalehan Enerji has taken a significant step in reducing carbon emissions. The company’s Yukarı Kaleköy Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant (HEPP) has successfully completed the validation process conducted by the International Carbon Registry (ICR) and has now been officially registered in the system. Generating 1.5 TWh of clean energy annually, the plant prevents more than 835,000 tons of carbon emissions each year.

While the European Union’s Green Deal and its target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 continue to drive major global transformations, Türkiye is also advancing its efforts in this field. Yukarı Kaleköy Dam and HEPP, located in Solhan, Bingöl and operated by Kalehan Enerji—an affiliate of Cengiz Holding, which rapidly expands its renewable-based energy portfolio with new investments—has successfully completed the validation process and has now been registered by the International Carbon Registry (ICR).

egistry (ICR).

Kalehan Enerji General Manager Gültekin Keleş emphasized that ongoing carbon regulations will reshape global trade, stating: “Carbon reduction practices, which are mandatory in Europe, are currently implemented on a voluntary basis in Türkiye. To adapt quickly to the global transformation, we submitted separate applications for Yukarı Kaleköy Dam and HEPP, as well as for our hybrid Aşağı Kaleköy Dam—which includes both a hydropower plant and a solar power plant. We successfully completed the validation process for Yukarı Kaleköy. We aim to finalize validation for our two other facilities very soon.” Explaining that verification is the second stage following validation, Keleş continued: “Both stages involve extensive, detailed audits and take a long time. We are very pleased to have completed this step successfully, and I would like to thank all our colleagues who contributed. We expect to begin the verification process in May and complete it successfully in the last quarter of the year. With this, our clean energy production—which directly contributes to greenhouse gas reduction—will be certified through the issuance of carbon credits.

“THE LARGEST HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT BUILT BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR”

Yukarı Kaleköy Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant is located on the Murat River in the Solhan district of Bingöl. With an installed capacity of 626.85 MW, the facility is the largest hydroelectric power plant ever built by Türkiye’s private sector. It generates 1.5 TWh of clean electricity annually and prevents more than 835,000 tons of carbon emissions each year. Serving as a driving force in Türkiye’s renewable energy transformation, the plant also makes a significant contribution to local employment and regional development. Yukarı Kaleköy Dam and HEPP has received the first-place “Best Project” award from both the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) and the Spanish National Committee on Large Dams (SPANCOLD).