The delegation from Japan came to Izmir to observe the investment opportunities in the city and visited the solar power plant built on the roof of ESHOT workshops by the Metropolitan Municipality for the electric buses. 

The Japanese Investors, invited to Izmir by Izmir Development Agency and Zafer Development Agency, observed the electric bus project launched by the Metropolitan Municipality for minimizing the carbon emission in the city and solar power system that supports the project. Takashi Oya, the General Manager of Japan Cooperation Center for Middle East (JCCME), aka JCCME, the Manager Wayama Takako and Reina Maeda, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)’s Tokyo Office Consultant, were in the Japanese Delegation that travelled along Mustafa Kemal Sahil Boulevard on the electric bus and then they visited the wastewater workshops built by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, General Directorate of ESHOT in Gediz District.

Vahyettin Akyol, the Head of ESHOT Building Facilities Department, briefed the members of the visiting delegation about power generation for the electric buses and they also went up to the roof since they wanted to take a closer look at the solar power plant installed on the workshop rooftop.

Equal to 64 thousand trees
The ESHOT officials reported that the solar power plant on the rooftop of Gediz workshops cover all the energy needed for the electric buses and noted that they have saved 1.5 million kWH energy, which is equal to almost 722 thousand liras, since August 2017, and the electricity generated by the 1,38 MW plant prevented total 2.559 tons of carbon dioxide emission in 13 months. The members of the visiting delegation were also told that this amount is equal to CO2 to be filtered by 64 thousand 175 trees in a day.   

Ferda Gelegen, who is the United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s Tokyo Coordinator, was also on the delegation and reported that the organization, based in Vienna, has been working in Japan since 1981 and the Japan companies are considering a number of places around the country to make investments since Istanbul is a very crowded place. Ms. Gelegen underlined that Izmir is at the top of these cities.

The ESHOT General Directorate completed feasibility studies of the solar power plants to be built in Adatepe and Çiğli garages with total capacity of 2 MW.