In the 1st OIZ, which is established on an area of 127 hectares in Aziziye district and employs 10 thousand people, studies are continuing to reduce the energy costs of industrialists and increase the use of renewable energy. Within the scope of the project with a budget of 1.3 million euros, carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology and financed by the World Bank, a zoning plan change was made in the health protection strip areas in the OIZ and an area of 26 thousand square meters consisting of 6 parcels was allocated for the installation of solar power plants. The power plant where the panels are placed is planned to be put into operation at the end of the month or in September. It is expected that the project will cover 30 percent of the OIZ's electricity consumption and provide monthly savings of approximately 1.6 million liras. OSB's Chairman of the Board of Directors, Murat Urkuç, told the AA correspondent that the application for the project was made in 2021. Stating that the OIZ in the city was established in the 1970s, Urkuç said, "Our OIZ is the first OIZ in Eastern Anatolia and the 4th in Türkiye. We have reached 100 percent occupancy over the past many years. We employ approximately 10 thousand people." he said. "We have brought our 3-megawatt Solar Power Project to life" Urkuç, pointing out that they are on the side of the industrialists with Solar Power Plants, continued as follows: "In line with the project of our Ministry, we participated in the project financed by the World Bank. We got our project accepted as the 25th among the OIZs in Türkiye. Our aim was to bring solar power plants, called renewable energy, to our OIZ. At the end of 3 years, we have delivered our 3-megawatt Solar Power Plant project belonging to our 1st OIZ Directorate. Our project is complete." "The speed is continuing, we have made the tender under the responsibility of the ministry. We will complete our project by the end of this month or in September. We are establishing a 26 thousand square meter area consisting of 6 parcels as a solar power plant. It is a project worth 1.3 million euros and we will hopefully provide 30 percent of the energy used in the OIZ from the sun." "We aim to obtain the 100 percent renewable energy LEED Certificate for our OIZ." Stating that energy has become valuable in the world and that they attach importance to renewable energy in the 1st OIZ, Urkuç said, "Except for this project, the industrialists' roof and field solar power projects in our OIZ have been completed. With our project, we will get 90 percent of the energy of our OIZ from the sun and switch to renewable energy. We aim to obtain the 100 percent renewable energy LEED Certificate for our OIZ. These "If we succeed, hopefully it will be an important opportunity to attract investors from other cities and regions to Erzurum." he said. Urkuç, drawing attention to the privilege created by the state for industrialists, said: "There is serious satisfaction, electricity was an important expense item, it is very important that they at least make a profit from it, given the economic conditions we are in and the difficult problems experienced by industrialists. Everyone is trying to reduce energy costs. You can produce twice as much energy as you consume, the used is offset, and the rest is sold to our state. All our industrialists have entered into a transformation."
