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Vega Energy Çeşme Wind project Turkey
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By: Cesme Platformu
Created on: 2019-05-14 12:14:06
Last update: 2022-07-12 00:00:00

Contact:

Çeşme Platformu, Turkey: Madeleine Kura, staafmadeleine@gmail.com +90-506-722 9821

Esen Fatma Kabadayi, efkabadayi@gmail.com, +90-532-417 5005


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The wind energy project in Çeşme, Turkey . Photo: Çeşme Platformu
Sector Wind Electric Power Generation
Location
Status
Planning
Design
Agreement
Construction
Operation
Closure
Decommission
Website https://www.abkenerji.com

About Vega Energy Çeşme Wind project

The Çeşme Wind energy project in Turkey consists of six wind turbines, each 150 metres high, with a capacity of 18MW. The project was initiated in May 2015 by Turkish energy company Vega Energy (known until 2019 as ABK Energy). It required an investment of EUR 24 million. German company Nordex SE supplied the wind turbines. These turbines are located within a Nature Protection Area, and the project was implemented without consulting local people.

Latest developments

Gold Standard investigation advises project should be suspended immediately

2020-03-16 00:00:00

Non-conformity allegations against Çeşme Wind Power Project, Turkey

2019-04-30 00:00:00

Why this profile?

The Çeşme Wind energy project is located in a Nationally Protected Area and has been implemented with a total disregard for the local people, the local economy, culture and history, the region's special micro climate and agriculture and the environment.

What must happen

The court verdicts should be implemented, the area restored and the deeds transferred back to their real owners.

Impacts

Social and human rights impacts

Community consultation Several groups of affected stakeholders were not consulted during the planning and certification process. Many landowners were informed first when the construction machines were on their private property, others even after construction was completed. Following a complaint, the organization “Gold Standard for the Global Goals” concluded the community consultation “did not comply with Gold Standard stakeholder engagement requirements”.

Harassment of people opposing the project The Çeşme Wind Energy Project has been the subject of strong opposition from local people and affected landowners. The company's response has included:

  • Repeated attacks in local and regional media against people opposing the energy project. Unrelated, false and unsupported media stories were used to adversely affect the reputation of key campaigners and to question the motivations behind the campaign and influence local public opinion;
  • Legal harassment through a barrage of criminal complaints, and the opening of multiple, spurious legal cases against key campaigners and administrators of the campaign’s social media and website;
  • Filing complaints requesting the authorities to investigate campaigners under official Anti -Terror legislation and referring to them as ‘an organized, criminal group working against the energy company and 'broader national interests'. The company also requested the campaigner’s phones and bank accounts to be investigated;
  • The company has filed a case at the İzmir Commercial court (hearing was on the 28 June 2019), alleging that 'actions against the project amount to unfair competition and have led to the failure of the project’.

A 2017 Germanwatch-Misereor report on Germany's energy sector and human rights stated on the Cesme Wind Power-Nordex SE project that, 'Livelihoods are threatened by the destruction of vital natural resources (soils,water etc.)' and that 'the German National Contact Point partially accepted only one complaint – against Nordex SE – concerning a wind farm in Turkey. In the course of the mediation procedure Nordex agreed to improve its due diligence process. This pledge relates to future cases, however, whereas the concerns of those directly affected in this specific case were not dealt with adequately.'

Environmental and climate impacts

Nature Protection Areas The Çeşme wind turbines are situated in the Sarnic Valley, recognized in 1994 as 1st and 2nd degree Nature Protection Areas for their environmental importance. These areas are home to many rare and protected species of plant and animal, some of which are only found on the peninsular.

Effects on local species An ornithological report (2012) by the Akdeniz University stated that, “It is inevitable that the turbines to be constructed in the area will directly and indirectly affect the living and inanimate beings around them.” The report further mentioned that, "Facilities that have a direct relationship with soil, vegetation and wildlife will also partially affect habitat use of native bird species that use the site as a habitat. Of the 79 bird species identified in the area, 21 are native." The existence of large wind turbines in such a small area can have a significant effect on the unique microclimate, potentially endangering local endemic species (Cesme Platformu).

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) No environmental impact assessment study was required for the development of this project in this extremely sensitive environment. The project was issued an 'EIA report not required' in 2008. A case against this decision was filed in 2014 at the Administrative court in Izmir, which rejected the need of an EIA. The verdict was opposed at the Supreme court in Ankara, that ruled that an EIA is needed. For five years the EIA case has been prolonged until June 2019.

Governance

Applicable norms and standards

Gold Standard
OECD Recommendation of the Council on Common Approaches for Officially Supported Export Credits and Environmental and Social Due Diligence (OECD Common Approaches)

Updates

Gold Standard investigation advises project should be suspended immediately

2020-03-16 00:00:00

A Gold Standard investigation has found that "the project failed to inform Gold Standard with regards to the legal status and ongoing cases proceedings and that it didn’t fully comply with the Gold Standard Stakeholder Consultation requirements especially with regards to the identification of stakeholders, proactively engaging the stakeholders and considering their feedback and establishing a continuous input and grievance mechanism." Gold Standard decided to suspend the project.

Non-conformity allegations against Çeşme Wind Power Project, Turkey

2019-04-30 00:00:00

On 30 April 2019, Madeleine Staaf Kura submitted a letter requesting an official grievance be raised against a registered Gold Standard project - Çeşme Wind Power Project in Turkey. The complainant alleged that the project developer had not adhered to Gold standard principles during the implementation and operation phase of the project activity and had submitted to Register the project using misleading information.

Financiers

Finance information on Vega Energy is not publicly available. However, according to information obtained privately from activists, Vega secured project financing in 2014 from Yapı Kredi, a Turkish bank 20% owned by Unicredit. A portion of the loan was provided by DZ Bank, but the loan facilitation was handled by Yapı Kredi. The loan was for EUR 20.7 mn with a maturity of 2029.

The German export credit agency Euler Hermes provided financial guarantees to Nordex SE, the supplier of the wind turbines.

Related companies

Project sponsor

VEGA Ruzgar Enerji (formerly ABK Cesme Res) Turkey

Vega Energy is the project sponsor. Vega was formerly named as ABK Çeşme RES; however the company name was changed in 2019.

Other companies

Life Enerji Turkey

Nordex Germany

Statkraft Norway

Vega Energy has had a "balancing agreement" with Statkraft since 2017.

News

| |
Type:
Year:
blog
external news
our news

For the controversial WPPs in Çeşme... Second veto from the court!

The zoning plans of the ABK/VEGA wind power plant built on the protected area in Çeşme were vetoed by the court for the second time. The people of the region will apply for the dismantling of the power plant.
2021-11-11 | Ege'de Sonsöz
blog
external news
our news

Civil society denounces Indonesia’s government siding with companies threatening Indigenous Peoples, endangered species and the environment

2020-06-04 | Indonesia | Environmental Paper Network
blog
external news
our news

Local community raises concerns around wind energy project in Turkey; incl. company (non-)responses

2019-09-02 | Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
blog
external news
our news

Non-conformity allegations against Çeşme Wind Power Project, Turkey

2019-04-30 | Goldstandard.org
blog
external news
our news

Judiciary said to stop but wind power is still in operation

2018-04-26 | Friends against wind
blog
external news
our news

Germany, You Should Be Proud!

2014-12-10 | Cesmeplatformu.org
blog
external news
our news

German Nordex tramples on law in Turkey

2014-11-24 | Cesmeplatformu.org
blog
external news
our news

Illegalities

2014-11-20 | Cesmeplatformu.org
blog
external news
our news

The Law says Stop, Nordex doesn’t care!

2014-10-16 | Cesmeplatformu.org
blog
external news
our news

Çeşme’s Eid Sentry

2014-10-08 | Cesmeplatformu.org
blog
external news
our news

Trucks Destroy Private Property Fences, Invade Private Lands

2014-10-05 | Cesmeplatformu.org
blog
external news
our news

Enough is enough, say Çeşme citizens

2014-08-17 | Cesmeplatformu.org
blog
external news
our news

Several Individuals vs. NORDEX SE operating in Turkey

(OECD Watch complaint)
2014-08-04 | OECD Watch
blog
external news
our news

Türkei: Neue Energie um jeden Preis?

2014-07-07 | Dw.com
blog
external news
our news

Nordex now also selling Generation Delta in Turkey

2014-01-14 | Nordex press release

Documents

Type:
Year:
other documents
2020-03-16 00:00:00

Cesme Wind Power Project, Turkey(GS2542)–Non-Conformity overview and recommendations

2020-03-16 00:00:00 | Gold Standard
other documents
2016-05-11 00:00:00

Court ruling on plaintiff Gülay Kabadayi

(in Turkish)
2016-05-11 00:00:00 | Izmir Fifth Administrative Court
other documents
2016-05-11 00:00:00

Court ruling on plaintiff Yilmaz Ertekçe

(in Turkish)
2016-05-11 00:00:00 | Izmir Fifth Administrative Court
other documents
2014-06-26 00:00:00

Stop order verdict

(in German)
2014-06-26 00:00:00 | Supreme Court Turkey
other documents
2018-02-02 00:00:00

Court ruling - Cancellation official project plan

(in Turkish)
2018-02-02 00:00:00 | Izmir 5th Administrative Court
other documents
2018-06-26 00:00:00

Final cancellation of emergency expropriation decision

(in Turkish)
2018-06-26 00:00:00 | Supreme Court Turkey
company documents
2015-03-05 00:00:00

Letter from Nordex to Bundesministerium fur Wirtschaft und Energie

2015-03-05 00:00:00 | Nordex
csr policies
2016-06-30 00:00:00

Code of conduct

2016-06-30 00:00:00 | Nordex
csr policies
2019-06-17 00:00:00

Assessment of environmental, social and human rights issues

Date listed represents date as accessed on website
2019-06-17 00:00:00 | Euler Hermes
other documents
2017-06-30 00:00:00

The Global Energy Sector and Human Rights

Putting German Business and Policy to the Test
2017-06-30 00:00:00 | Germanwatch, Misereor

Media

ABK Cesme Wind energy project

ABK Cesme Wind energy project ABK Cesme Wind energy project ABK Cesme Wind energy project ABK Cesme Wind energy project ABK Cesme Wind energy project



Video links

https://drive.google.com/file/d/171bYLgmOkl803BagiDNKOFjA54o96aSk/view?ts=5da05508

Links

Cesme Platformu Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/cesmeyasamplatformu/?ref=br_rs

Cesme Platformu campaign website

http://www.cesmeplatformu.org/en/author/cesmeplatform/

Vega Wind Energy (formerly ABK Energy)

Business and Human Rights Resource Centre Vega Wind Energy company and company responses webpage

https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/vega-wind-energy-electricity-generation-inc-formerly-abk-energy

Brief history

In 2013 the agreement between ABK Energy and German turbine supplier Nordex SE was signed and financially secured by the German Export Credit Agency, Euler Hermes.

In January 2014 ABK Energy started the construction of the Cesme Wind energy project on private and public land without legally having the project area in its possession.

Local people filed court cases regarding expropriation, the energy license, the planning and the Environmental Impact Asessment at the Supreme Court in Ankara, the Administrative Court in Izmır and the Local Court in Cesme. Construction continued during these court cases.

In January 2014 the project received a stoporder from the Supreme Court of the Republic of Turkey. In 2018 both the expropriation and the planning decisions were cancelled. It has also been ruled that this project is not in the “public good and interest.”

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