, the Danish wind turbine manufacturer, received a from Turkey, which is seeking to produce 30 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2023. The order from Galata Wind Energy, a unit of the Turkish conglomerate , comprises the delivery, transportation and installation of 31 turbines for a wind project in northwest Turkey that is scheduled for completion in the middle of next year. "We are very pleased with this contract, and we look forward to continuing working closely together with the Agaoglu Group with whom we have recently finalised the completion of the 33mw Mersin project located in the Mersin province of southern Turkey," said Juan Araluce, the president of the regional unit Vestas Mediterranean. "Provided that the Turkish government will offer the support needed to the wind industry through a long-term regulatory framework, Turkey has the possibility to achieve the country's goals for 2023," he added. The eastern Mediterranean country, which has limited fossil fuel reserves, mostly in the form of coal, is seeking to reduce its dependence on imported gas for power generation. With mountains and reasonable amounts of rain and snowfall, Turkey is in the middle of a major hydroelectricity expansion. Nevertheless, it is also taking steps to exploit its wind potential and aims to have 20,000mw of wind capacity installed by 2023, according to a news on the website. Turkey could met 20 per cent of its electricity demand from wind power if that target were met, even assuming an average 8 per cent annual growth in power consumption, the has estimated. Turkey's installed wind capacity stood at about 800mw at the end of last year, according to the . The country's ministry of energy and natural resources has estimated that Turkey has the potential to generate 160 terawatt hours (twh) of electricity annually from wind farms with a total installed capacity of 48,000mw. Business Monitor International that Turkish power consumption will rise to 186twh by 2019 from an estimated 146twh last year. The consulting firm expects electricity generation to rise by 57.7 per cent over that period, with hydro-power use doubling and thermal generation increasing by 38 per cent.