Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 28
By Emil Ilgar – Trend:
Iran has never had any dealings with Israeli companies, Arash Kordi, director of Iran Power Generation and Transmission Company (TAVANIR), told IRNA responding to claims over the links between Turkey’s Zorlu Energy and Israeli government.
“Iran has never negotiated with this company (Zorlu Energy), which was accused of being in relations with Israeli officials,” he said on Oct. 28.
In September, Omer Yungul, chief executive officer of Zorlu Holding, said Zorlu Energy is in talks with Iranian authorities for a project and a concrete plan may be announced this year.
Anadolu Agency also reported in October citing the holding’s Director General Sinan Ak that Zorlu Enerji will build a 100 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Iran.
“We are also in active talks to create a 50 MW wind farm,” Ak said.
Earlier, the Deputy Energy Minister Houshang Falahatian said Iran hasn’t reached any deal with Zorlu Energy and in case if a link between the company and Israel is revealed, Iran can cancel the talks with the company.
Zorlu Energy didn’t respond to Trend’s questions until publication of this report. All of the shareholders of the company and its top officials are Turkish citizens and mostly from the Zorlu family.
Zorlu Energy has several big projects in Israel. According to its official website, it is the largest private investor in Israel.
Zorlu Energy acquired a 25-percent share in Dorad in 2003 to undertake investment, contracting, operation and maintenance services for the 840MW combined cycle natural gas power plant project in Ashkelon, Israel.
The power plant is the largest ever built by a private investor in Israel.