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Turkey considering plan to use pistachios to heat country’s first eco-city

The pistachio-heated city of Gaziantep would occupy 7,900 acres and house 200,000 people.

By Evan Bleier
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GAZIANTEP, Turkey, April 22 (UPI) -- Turkey is considering using pistachios for something other than making baklava -- burning the shells to heat a city.

Officials are weighing a plan that would use pistachio shells to power a heating system in Gaziantep, the country’s first eco-city. Gaziantep is conveniently located near a region that produces thousands of tons of pistachios every year.

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The proposed pistachio-heated city would occupy 7,900 acres and house 200,000 people.

Turkey ranks third in the world for the production of Antep pistachios, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.

French environmental engineering company Burgeap determined that Antep shells are the “most feasible source of energy” in the region, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.

A final report about the viability of the proposal will be presented to the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality next month. If it is approved, the project could be completed in about a year.

[Turkish Press] [Hurriyet Daily News]

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