Ford Otosan Investment
June 2023
In 2021, Ford Otosan has announced that an investment of EUR 2 billion will be made within the scope of the Kocaeli factories’ transformation, which are among Europe's largest commercial vehicle production bases, to produce electric cars. In February 2023, it is announced that a total investment of EUR 1.39 billion is planned to be made in the next five years. Within the strategic partnership between Ford and Volkswagen, Ford Otosan will produce the new generation of Volkswagen commercial vehicles model 1-ton in Turkey. With the investment, the Kocaeli factories aim to become Turkey’s…
Wind Power Projects - Update
June 2023
In June 2021, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy (MIE) of the Republic of Albania has initiated a two-phase tender process for utility-scale, onshore wind power plants. The MIE has invited prospective bidders to identify and propose sites viable for the design, financing, construction, and operation of new onshore wind power plants under a request for qualifications. Participation in this tender process is restricted to projects with a minimum capacity of 10 MW and a maximum capacity of 75 MW. MIE will select projects totaling 100 MW that will receive support measures as described…
Avesta Battery and Energy Engineering (ABEE) Plans EUR 1.4 Billion E-vehicle Battery Plant in Eastern Romania
May 2023
Belgian company Avesta Battery and Energy Engineering (ABEE) prepares to invest EUR 1.4 billion in Galati, the eastern part of Romania, to build an e-vehicle battery factory. Representatives of the Belgian firm announced that they would have a production capacity of 22 GWh per year and would also develop a unit for recycling electric batteries with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year.
Rail-2-Sea and Via Carpatia Projects
May 2023
Rail-2-Sea is one of the Three Seas Initiative’s official priority projects. The railway line will lead from the Port of Gdańsk on Poland’s Baltic Coast to the Romanian Port of Constanta on the Black Sea to increase the speed with which freight moves between the two ports. Passenger traffic will also benefit from the project.
The initial stretch will feature a single railway line through Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. The railway will fork out into four branches passing through different large cities before all uniting again, passing through the capital city Bucharest and reaching…
Investment of United Group in Bulgaria
May 2023
United Group BV plans to allocate EUR 600 million to strengthening its business in Bulgaria over three years. This was announced by the group’s CEO Victoriya Boklag in March 2023.
The company is leading multi-play telecoms and media company in Southeast Europe, owner of Bulgaria’s telecom operator Vivacom and multi-platform media company Nova Broadcasting Group. Investments will be related to the coverage and capacity of Bulgaria’s mobile and optical networks and in high-quality products based on the latest technologies such as the 5G high-speed home internet.
Protocol between OSBÜK and Esarj on Electric Charging Stations
May 2023
In May 2023, Eşarj (Eşarj Elektrikli Araçlar Şarj Sistemleri A.Ş.), the electric charging station network, the majority of which is owned by Enerjisa Enerji A.Ş (one of the main companies in Turkish energy sector), and the Organized Industrial Zones Supreme Organization (OSBÜK) signed a cooperation protocol on the establishment of fast charging stations in organized industrial zones. The protocol currently involves 272 organized industrial zones throughout Turkey.
There is no available information on the commencement date of the electric charging stations’ installation.
Alarko to Invest USD 650 Million in Agriculture and Food Sector
May 2023
Alarko Holding, one of the biggest players in contracting, energy, industry, tourism, land development and venture capital market sectors in Turkey, announced that it plans to invest USD 650 million in agriculture and food projects.
Accordingly, as part of its 2030 targets, the company decided to invest in the agriculture and food sector focusing primarily on assisted greenhouse cultivation, open field agriculture, organomineral fertilization, food processing and sales as well as agricultural R&D technology.
Alarko Holding aims to employ 4000 people with an investment of USD 650…
Corridor VIII Railway Project
May 2023
North Macedonia's Public Enterprise for Railway Infrastructure Railways is inviting expressions of interest to do supervisory services for the construction of a new railway section from Kriva Palanka to the border with Bulgaria, part of pan-European Corridor VIII. Corridor VIII is an east-west route connecting Albania's Adriatic port of Durres to the Bulgaria's Black Sea port of Varna via North Macedonia.
The assignment is expected to cost EUR 13 million (USD 14 million), excluding VAT. The services are expected to be financed through a grant from the Western Balkans Investment Framework…
Kanal Istanbul
“Kanal Istanbul” is one of Turkish mega infrastructural projects.
Eberspaecher is Building Plant in Bulgaria
May 2023
German automotive supplier Eberspaecher will build a factory for electrical heaters for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid models in Ruse, with an area of about 21,000 m2. It is expected that the factory will be ready in the beginning of 2024. The company started production in the beginning of 2023 in a "temporary" plant, which will operate until the completion of the new plant.
North-South Gas Interconnections in Central Eastern and Southeastern Europe (Hungary-Slovenia-Italy Interconnection)
May 2023
The PCI will establish a bi-directional interconnection between Slovenian and Hungarian gas transmission systems and, with that, a connection of the national gas markets. It will improve possibilities for diversification of gas sources (LNG sources from the Adriatic region and any other sources), which are available in Slovenia and enable access to gas storages in Hungary for Slovenian users. The security of supply (N-1 criteria) will be improved for the existing Slovenian gas system as well as for the Hungarian gas market to a certain extent. Phase I (planned to be commissioned on 1…
Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant
Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Mersin is expected to become a major energy resource for Turkey.
