Zorlu Enerji continues to expand its R&D and innovation portfolio by placing research and development at the core of its sustainable growth strategy. Through projects supported by national and international funds, the company is reinforcing its ambition to become a leading energy player in R&D, while delivering breakthrough solutions in renewable energy, digitalisation and environmental technologies.
Six Projects Supported Under Horizon Europe
Zorlu Enerji has received €2.41 million in grant funding for six R&D projects under the Horizon Europe programme, including JIDEP, SEHRENE, nGel, EOLIAN, Twinvest and VERTI-GO. Commenting on the company’s approach, Ural Halaçoğlu, Group Manager for Geothermal Resources, R&D and Innovation at Zorlu Enerji, said:
“We continuously enhance our capability to integrate R&D across all business processes. In line with this approach, we closely follow global best practices and focus on strengthening our collaborations.”
Halaçoğlu noted that the nGel project, supported with €1.91 million in 2023, represents the company’s highest-budget project to date, adding:
“Under Horizon Europe, the EU’s largest research and innovation programme, we have qualified for a total of €2.41 million in grant support through six separate R&D projects.”
New Funding from Eurogia23, TÜBİTAK and TENMAK
Beyond Horizon Europe, Zorlu Enerji’s R&D portfolio continues to grow through additional funding mechanisms. The WindTwin project, for which the company applied as lead coordinator for the first time under the Eurogia23 programme, has been awarded support by TÜBİTAK. Meanwhile, the JESKE project qualified for funding under TENMAK’s TUGEP programme, launched for the first time by the Turkish Energy, Nuclear and Mineral Research Authority.
“Both projects are currently at the contracting stage,” Halaçoğlu stated, adding: “We are steadily advancing our work with an R&D portfolio that is expanding year by year through national and international funding.”
€4.14 Million in Grants Since 2018
Zorlu Enerji has received a total of €4.14 million and approximately TRY 30 million in grant support for 17 R&D projects since 2018. The company stated that these funds have been allocated to projects aimed at developing innovative solutions in the fields of energy, environment and digital technologies.
Nearly 25 R&D Projects Managed Across the Group
Zorlu Enerji’s R&D activities extend across its group companies, reaching a significant scale. Emphasising that the company’s renewable energy focus reflects its long-term vision, Halaçoğlu recalled that the R&D journey accelerated in 2017 with initial engagement with TÜBİTAK, followed by its first international collaboration through the GECO project.
According to Halaçoğlu, four projects involving Zorlu Enerji were successfully completed under the Horizon 2020 framework. Three additional projects are supported by TÜBİTAK under the EUREKA cluster, while nine R&D projects backed by national and international funds are currently ongoing. At group subsidiary Osmangazi Electricity Distribution Inc., four EU-funded projects have been completed and two new projects were added to the portfolio this year. Together with approximately 15 projects supported by the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK), Zorlu Enerji and its group companies are managing close to 25 R&D projects simultaneously.
