Exergy Signs 33 MWe Geothermal Contract with Maren in Türkiye Exergy International has signed a new contract with Maren Maraş Elektrik Üretim A.Ş. to supply the 33 MWe Mehmet Ege geothermal power plant in Germencik, in Türkiye’s Aydın province. The project will use Exergy’s Organic Rankine Cycle technology and include the company’s largest Radial Outflow Turbine supplied to date. Expected to enter operation in the second half of 2027, the plant will provide renewable baseload electricity from a geothermal resource with an estimated temperature of approximately 160°C. The agreement represents another major step in Exergy’s long-standing relationship with Maren and reinforces Türkiye’s position as one of the world’s most active geothermal markets. A Major Geothermal Investment in Aydın The Mehmet Ege geothermal power plant will be located in Germencik, a district within Aydın that has become a major centre for geothermal development. Türkiye’s western Aegean region conta...
Exergy Signs 33 MWe Geothermal Contract with Maren in Türkiye
Exergy International has signed a new contract with Maren Maraş Elektrik Üretim A.Ş. to supply the 33 MWe Mehmet Ege geothermal power plant in Germencik, in Türkiye’s Aydın province. The project will use Exergy’s Organic Rankine Cycle technology and include the company’s largest Radial Outflow Turbine supplied to date.
Expected to enter operation in the second half of 2027, the plant will provide renewable baseload electricity from a geothermal resource with an estimated temperature of approximately 160°C. The agreement represents another major step in Exergy’s long-standing relationship with Maren and reinforces Türkiye’s position as one of the world’s most active geothermal markets.
A Major Geothermal Investment in Aydın
The Mehmet Ege geothermal power plant will be located in Germencik, a district within Aydın that has become a major centre for geothermal development. Türkiye’s western Aegean region contains extensive geothermal resources, and Aydın hosts several power plants that use geothermal fluids to produce continuous electricity.
Unlike solar and wind projects, geothermal plants can operate day and night because they draw energy from the Earth’s internal heat. This makes geothermal power especially valuable for electricity systems that need dependable generation alongside variable renewable sources.
The new 33 MWe plant will use a geothermal resource at approximately 160°C. Exergy’s ORC technology is designed to convert this type of medium-temperature geothermal heat into electricity without requiring the geothermal fluid itself to pass directly through the turbine.
The project is expected to strengthen the renewable power supply in Türkiye while supporting the country’s broader efforts to expand domestic and low-carbon electricity generation.
The Mehmet Ege project will use an Organic Rankine Cycle, or ORC, power-generation system. ORC technology works on a principle similar to the conventional steam Rankine cycle, but it uses an organic working fluid with a lower boiling point than water.
This allows the system to produce electricity from geothermal resources that may not be hot enough for a traditional steam turbine. The geothermal fluid transfers heat to the ORC working fluid through heat exchangers. The working fluid then vaporises, expands through a turbine, and drives an electrical generator.
After expansion, the working fluid is condensed and returned to the cycle, while the geothermal fluid can be reinjected into the reservoir. This closed-loop arrangement helps reduce emissions and supports the sustainable management of the geothermal resource.
For medium-temperature geothermal fields, ORC systems can offer several advantages:
- They can generate electricity from resources that are unsuitable for conventional steam plants.
- They use a closed thermodynamic cycle.
- They can provide stable baseload generation.
- They can be configured for different resource temperatures and flow conditions.
- They can support the efficient use of geothermal heat while enabling reinjection of the geothermal fluid.
Exergy describes itself as a specialist in geothermal ORC systems, with its technology based on the company’s proprietary Radial Outflow Turbine design.
The Largest Radial Outflow Turbine
One of the most significant features of the Mehmet Ege plant will be its two-turbine configuration. One of the turbines will have a rated capacity of 29 MW, making it the largest turbine Exergy has supplied to date.
The turbine will use Exergy’s Radial Outflow Turbine technology. In this configuration, the working fluid flows radially outward through the turbine stages. The design is intended to support high efficiency across a range of operating conditions and can be adapted for geothermal and other heat-recovery applications.
The 29 MW unit demonstrates how radial outflow technology can be scaled for larger geothermal projects. It also marks an important engineering milestone for Exergy, whose turbine portfolio has expanded from smaller modular systems to equipment capable of supporting utility-scale generation.
The plant’s total capacity will be 33 MWe, combining the large 29 MW machine with a second turbine. Together, the two turbines will convert the available geothermal heat into electricity for delivery to the Turkish grid.
What Exergy Will Deliver
Under the contract, Exergy will be responsible for the engineering and design of the ORC power-generation system. Its scope will also include the manufacturing and delivery of the principal equipment and technical advisory services during installation and final commissioning.
The project scope is expected to cover several important activities:
- Engineering and design of the geothermal ORC system.
- Manufacture of the turbines and generators.
- Delivery of ancillary equipment.
- Technical support during installation.
- Assistance with commissioning and start-up.
- Coordination of equipment manufactured through Exergy’s Turkish operations.
This approach gives the project developer access to a single technology provider across several stages of development. It can also help reduce coordination risks between equipment suppliers, engineering teams and construction contractors.
Technical support during installation and commissioning is particularly important for geothermal plants. Performance depends on the interaction between the geothermal wells, production system, heat exchangers, turbines, condensers, generators and grid connection. Proper integration of these elements is essential for achieving reliable long-term output.
Made-in-Türkiye Manufacturing
A substantial part of the Mehmet Ege project will be delivered through Exergy’s local industrial presence in Türkiye. The turbines, generators and ancillary equipment will be manufactured and assembled at Exergy’s Turkish workshop.
This local production strategy is expected to enable the equipment to qualify for Made in Türkiye certification. It also allows the project to combine international geothermal engineering expertise with domestic manufacturing capacity.
Local production can provide several potential benefits:
- Reduced dependence on imported equipment.
- Development of local engineering and manufacturing skills.
- Greater participation by Turkish suppliers.
- Potential eligibility for domestic-content incentives.
- Shorter communication and logistics chains.
- Stronger long-term technical support within the country.
Türkiye’s geothermal sector has developed rapidly over the past two decades, creating demand for local equipment, maintenance capabilities and specialist technical personnel. Exergy’s Turkish workshop supports that industrial ecosystem by manufacturing key components closer to the projects where they will be installed.
The project therefore represents more than the addition of new generating capacity. It also contributes to the development of a domestic supply chain for geothermal power technology.
A Fourth Repeat Order from Maren
The Mehmet Ege contract is Exergy’s fourth repeat order from Maren. With the new project included, Maren will have awarded Exergy geothermal projects with a combined capacity of 129 MWe.
Repeat orders are significant in the power-generation industry because they indicate an established working relationship between the developer and technology supplier. They may reflect confidence in equipment performance, project execution, technical support and the ability to deliver projects within local regulatory and commercial requirements.
The relationship between the two companies has already included major geothermal developments in Türkiye. Earlier reporting identified Maren projects including the 33 MWe Emir geothermal power plant and the 13 MWe Nezihe Beren 2 plant, which together represented 46 MWe of additional capacity. [4]
The new Mehmet Ege project extends that partnership and takes the total geothermal capacity awarded by Maren to Exergy to 129 MWe. This makes Maren one of Exergy’s most important repeat customers in the Turkish geothermal market.
Renewable Baseload Power
The Mehmet Ege plant is expected to generate renewable baseload power. Baseload generation refers to electricity that can be supplied consistently over extended periods, rather than only when weather conditions are favourable.
This is one of geothermal energy’s principal advantages. Solar power output varies with daylight and cloud cover, while wind power depends on wind conditions. Geothermal facilities, by contrast, can use a continuously available underground heat source to produce power throughout the day and night.
A geothermal plant’s actual output still depends on resource conditions, equipment availability, maintenance and grid requirements. However, its capacity factor can be high because the resource is not dependent on daily weather patterns.
For Türkiye, geothermal baseload generation can complement the country’s growing solar and wind capacity. It can help diversify the electricity mix while reducing reliance on fossil-fuel generation during periods of high demand or low renewable output.
Supporting Türkiye’s Energy Transition
Türkiye has substantial geothermal potential because of its geological position. The country lies in a tectonically active region where underground heat resources can be found at commercially useful depths and temperatures.
The Aegean region, particularly Aydın, Denizli, Manisa and İzmir, has attracted significant geothermal investment. These projects have helped establish Türkiye as a prominent producer of geothermal electricity.
The expansion of geothermal power supports several energy-transition objectives:
- Increasing renewable electricity generation.
- Improving energy-security resilience.
- Reducing exposure to imported fossil-fuel prices.
- Supporting domestic manufacturing.
- Providing stable power to the electricity system.
- Creating demand for specialised engineering and technical services.
The Mehmet Ege project contributes to these objectives through a combination of renewable generation, advanced turbine technology and local equipment manufacturing.
Why the Project Matters for Exergy
For Exergy, the contract strengthens its presence in a market where the company has built a substantial geothermal portfolio. The new project also provides a reference for the application of a large Radial Outflow Turbine in a commercial geothermal facility.
The 29 MW turbine is important because it demonstrates the scalability of Exergy’s technology. Larger turbines can help reduce the number of machines required for a plant, potentially simplifying certain aspects of plant design, operation and maintenance.
At the same time, the suitability of any turbine configuration depends on the geothermal resource, fluid chemistry, pressure conditions, flow rate and required operating profile. Geothermal plants must be designed around the characteristics of each field rather than relying on a single standard configuration.
The Mehmet Ege project therefore offers Exergy an opportunity to demonstrate how its turbine architecture can be adapted to a sizeable medium-temperature geothermal resource.
Construction and Operating Timeline
The plant is expected to enter operation during the second half of 2027. Before that milestone, the project will need to progress through detailed engineering, equipment manufacturing, transport, installation, testing and commissioning.
The main stages are likely to include:
1. Finalisation of engineering and equipment specifications.
2. Manufacturing of turbines, generators and auxiliary systems.
3. Assembly and quality checks at Exergy’s Turkish workshop.
4. Delivery of equipment to the Germencik project site.
5. Installation and integration with the geothermal field.
6. Electrical and mechanical testing.
7. Commissioning of the ORC units.
8. Performance verification and commercial operation.
The schedule will depend on the readiness of the geothermal wells, civil works, grid-connection infrastructure and associated balance-of-plant systems. Coordination between the developer, equipment supplier, contractors and local authorities will be essential to achieving the targeted operating date.
Long-Term Outlook
The contract underlines the continuing role of geothermal power in Türkiye’s renewable-energy strategy. While solar and wind are expanding rapidly, geothermal remains especially valuable because it can produce electricity continuously and use locally available resources.
For Maren, the Mehmet Ege plant will add another large renewable asset to its geothermal portfolio. For Exergy, it will provide a high-profile installation featuring the company’s largest Radial Outflow Turbine and its fourth repeat order from the customer. [2][3]
The project also illustrates how clean-energy development can combine several forms of value: renewable electricity, industrial manufacturing, local employment, technical expertise and long-term energy security.
Once operational, the 33 MWe Mehmet Ege geothermal power plant is expected to become another important addition to the Aydın region’s geothermal infrastructure. Its planned use of a 29 MW Radial Outflow Turbine, locally manufactured equipment and ORC technology places the project at the intersection of technological innovation and Türkiye’s expanding clean-power market.
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Source: Exergy
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