After the opening, BEST A.Ş., one of the companies of Yırcalı Holding, which has the largest capacity in Turkey for the production of 400-ton transformers, plans to put their new investment of 12 million euros into operation next year. Rona Yırcalı, the Chairman of Yırcalı Holding's Board of Directors, stated that BEST A.Ş., one of the companies under their umbrella, has one of the world's largest test laboratories and produced the world's largest iron and steel furnace transformer with a capacity of 310 MVA this year. A.Sırrı Yırcalı, the Vice Chairman of BEST A.Ş., stated that BEST transformers are present in 83 countries worldwide, and that their company has one of the world's largest test laboratories, conducting product tests up to 1200 MVA and 1000 volts. Sırrı Yırcalı, who stated that they primarily procure raw materials from Russia, Korea, and China, also mentioned that they realize the purchase and production of all electricity institutions in Turkey. Founded in 1966 and continuing its activities as a joint venture under Yırcalı Holding today, BEST transformer is the largest transformer manufacturer in our country. Our Balıkesir ASB (Heavy Industry Zone) and OSB facilities have a total production area of 60,000 square meters on 200,000 square meters of open space. Our company, which exports two-thirds of its production, has also achieved many firsts in the industry. With a team of more than 200 engineers and a total of 1450 employees, BEST A.Ş. stands out as one of the rare transformer factories that have exported their transformers to more than a hundred countries

"We are a partner in the leading projects of the country."

A.Sırrı Yırcalı emphasized that BEST is seen as an important partner in Turkey's major projects, in addition to exports to many countries around the world. "We are chosen for challenging projects such as Istanbul Airport, Marmaray, 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, and Çetin Hydroelectric Power Plant, which is the largest compressed concrete dam in Europe. We are also a significant partner in Tosyalı Holding's iron and steel plants in İskenderun, Algeria, and Senegal. In addition, in 2022, the world's largest steel furnace transformer with a capacity of 310 MVA was produced and delivered from our facility. Despite the pandemic conditions, we also increased employment in 2022," said Sırrı Yırcalı. He continued, "Our company successfully tested the largest unit we have ever produced, a transformer with a capacity of 640 MVA/525kV, under challenging conditions. The diversification and improvement of renewable energy sources, as well as the supply security objectives of power grids, under global green transformation policies, have led to increased demand, especially in export markets. In order to meet this demand, we will put a 12 million Euro investment into operation in 2022-23."

"The Green Deal is important for the sector"

Sinan Yırcalı, a board member of BEST A.Ş., highlighted the importance of the Green Deal process for the industry, stating that "Renewable energy investments have gained rapid momentum worldwide. The benefits of green energy are of significant importance in grid resilience. With the Green Deal process, the renewed grids hold a serious and important place in our sector. We have already started new investments to be prepared for the demand that will occur worldwide in the near future. We are carrying out a 12 million Euro new investment at our existing factory in Balıkesir OSB to increase our capacity, product range, and upper limit for the new grid lines that green energy requires. This investment we have made for the increasing demand in the coming years will meet the significant resilience need brought by green energy."

DÜNYA Newspaper