USA Matchmaking Program, Power Gen

knowledge, networking

& partnership

knowledge, networking & partnership

Name of the Cooperating Organization: ANKARA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Name of the Program: UNITED STATES SECTORAL TRADE COMMITTEE

ABSTRACT

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has been working as an observer and our Chamber has been working as an umbrella organization with more than one project, with the aim of incorporating local industry into the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) projects to be established in Sinop and Mersin Akkuyu areas in our country.

Within this scope, it is aimed to support the cooperation of Turkish companies with foreign companies, to promote the product exports to the ongoing NPP projects in the nearby geography, and to localize the technology by making companies closely acquainted with nuclear markets. In this respect, it is foreseen that the domestic supply chain will be established and the export power to nuclear markets will rise by increasing the production quality of the domestic industry.

For this purpose, it is believed that it would be beneficial to bring Turkish companies together with foreign stakeholders, especially in the energy and nuclear energy sector, and to organize activities that will promote seeing energy and/or nuclear energy power generation facilities on site via making visits to the generation fields of leading companies in the market.

In this regard, the URGE Project called ‘Local Contribution to the Nuc IndusTRy Nuclear Industry’ registered under the code 14.UR-GE.041 was carried out under the coordinatorship of our Chamber, and the project term was completed as of November 2017. A total of four committee programs were organized under the project in 2016 and 2017. The fifth Foreign Marketing Activity planned to be organized in this scope was conducted in Las Vegas, the USA between December 3 and 8, 2017 with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Sectoral Trade Committee.

As part of the Committee activities, member companies of our Chamber participated in the bilateral business talks held in the rented hall at the Power Gen exhibition area, which is organized every year in the USA and has great importance for the energy sector. In addition to the bilateral talks under the Committee activities, visits were made to the Harry Allen Power Plant located in the Nevada Region, and the Ivanpah Solar Electricity Plant, one of a kind in terms of technology.

Representatives of the Ministry of Economy and the US Embassy Trade Attaché in Ankara participated in the Sectoral Trade Committee activities.

Our 8 member companies took part in the Committee with 12 representatives, and Project Coordinator Ceyda Mine POLAT participated on behalf of our Chamber in order to promote and represent our project and to accompany the partner companies. One official from the service provider company were present for the planning and coordination of transportation, accommodation and bilateral business meetings.

The partner companies attended 136 bilateral business meetings at the Committee. 35 of these meetings were reported to the Chamber as “potentially positive”. In addition, our Chamber paid official visits in order to promote the Project in terms of international cooperation and the export potential.

The first field visit was paid to Harry Allen Power Plant. During this visit, an elucidative video about the plant was displayed and technical questions regarding the operation principles were evaluated.

Afterwards, the Ivanpah Solar Electricity Plant was visited. An introductory presentation was made about the facility, and the visit ended after field exploration.

At the end of the Committee activities, the partner companies expressed positive reviews about the committee event and appreciated the field visits.

It was seen in the questionnaires that all participant companies show high levels of satisfaction and would lean towards organization of similar projects in the future.