Aydınlı’s Solarkent to open new era in construction sector …

The Aydınlı Group, one of the largest Turkish companies in the ready-wear sector, has embarked on a unique project, named Solarkent, a development containing 866 energy-efficient residences equipped with the latest technology to harness solar energy for illumination and heating, opening a new era in the Turkish construction sector.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of Aydınlı s first project in the housing market, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said the project serves as a model and will encourage other firms to invest in similar projects. The government places the utmost importance on encouraging the use of renewable energy, particularly solar, and the minister said such projects should become widespread throughout the country. Underlining that they are determined to continue their investments in this field, Mustafa Şevki Kavurmacı, the founder of Aydınlı Group, said the project will be the “rising sun of Turkey.” Aydınlı CEO Ömer Faruk Kavurmacı said their priority was to conserve nature as well as self-sufficient residences.

Also speaking at the ceremony İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş said both the private sector and the government should concentrate more on renewable energy sources, particularly when global warming has reached such a hazardous degree. “Bearing in mind that the world population is growing faster every day, we should increase settlements that are environmentally friendly and can produce their own energy.” With regards to their projects to this end, the mayor said the İstanbul Waterworks Authority (İSKİ) plans to launch a wind power plant in the near future on Lake Terkos. “We have also saved some TL 1.5 million so far by placing solar panels on traffic signals,” he added.

Aydınlı invested some TL 62 million in the Solarkent project, the construction of which started in İstanbul s Haramidere district, about 500 meters the E-5 highway. The company expects to complete the 28,500-square-meter development within the next 24 months. The development will include gyms, swimming pools and recreational facilities. Solarkent will produce some 780,000 kilowatts of energy a year and has 2,600 solar panels each capable of storing 220 watts of energy. The capacity of the electricity plant installed will be 550 kilowatts.

As a leading textile and ready-wear company holding sole ownership of production and marketing rights for Pierre Cardin, Cacharel, Polo and Becon in Turkey, the Aydınlı Group presently operates on four continents with over 2,500 employees. The company expects to enter the energy and communication sectors following completion of the Solarkent project.

todayszaman.com / business national

Abdülhamit YILDIZ  / ISTANBUL 

10 June 2009, Wednesday

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