Throughout his career, Abdulhamit Turgut Bağdat has built extensive experience across power generation facilities, high-voltage systems, natural gas-fired power plants, renewable energy, energy storage, and nuclear energy, covering a broad spectrum of responsibilities from engineering and field execution to testing and commissioning, project and contract management, feasibility studies, and investment development. In addition to Türkiye, he has worked on large-scale energy projects in Iraq and Turkmenistan, assuming key responsibilities in projects involving international EPC contractors, technology providers, government authorities, transmission system operators, and international financial institutions.

Bağdat began his professional career in Iraq with Çalık Enerji as a Site Electrical Engineer on a 1,250 MW simple-cycle natural gas-fired power plant project delivered for the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity in cooperation with General Electric. His responsibilities focused on the high-voltage side of the power transmission chain, including Isolated Phase Busduct (IPB) systems, approximately 350 MVA step-up power transformers, 400 kV high-voltage cables, and Alstom 400 kV and 132 kV Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS) systems, covering installation, testing, and commissioning activities. He also assumed responsibilities for 400/132 kV autotransformer systems and the high-voltage cable connections associated with the 132 kV outgoing feeders. Within the protection, control, and telecommunications scope of the project, he worked on the integration, testing, and commissioning of Power Line Carrier (PLC) communication systems, microwave communication towers, SDH multiplexers, and OPGW fiber-optic communication systems connecting the plant with remote substations.

He subsequently worked on a 750 MW simple-cycle natural gas-fired power plant project in Iraq, again delivered by Çalık Enerji in cooperation with General Electric. Within a similar scope, he was responsible for the installation, testing, and commissioning of the plant’s high-voltage infrastructure, extending from the turbine-generator output and IPB systems through step-up power transformers, 400 kV high-voltage cables, and 400/132 kV GIS substations. His responsibilities included high-voltage cable installation and termination, GIS installation and high-voltage testing, as well as the integration and commissioning of PLC, microwave, and OPGW/SDH-based communication systems with remote substations.

Following these assignments, Bağdat was sent by Çalık Enerji to Alstom facilities in France and Switzerland, where he received specialized technical training in the operation and maintenance of GIS systems, as well as their control and SCADA systems.

After his field assignments in Iraq, Bağdat moved to Turkmenistan, where he worked as a Project Engineer within Çalık Enerji. Based at the company’s Turkmenistan headquarters, he successively assumed responsibilities for the 250 MW Ahal-2, 500 MW Derweze, and 250 MW Vatan simple-cycle natural gas-fired power plant projects. In addition to technical engineering activities for these projects, which were developed using General Electric technologies, he undertook comprehensive project management responsibilities. He coordinated the approval processes for engineering and design documentation prepared by Çalık Enerji before the relevant Turkmen government authorities and was involved in managing logistics operations, subcontractor contracts, progress payment processes, and overall project coordination. In this capacity, he served as an official project representative of Çalık Enerji in engagements with key government stakeholders, including the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Gas, and the Office of the President of Turkmenistan.

Upon returning to Türkiye, Bağdat joined Samsung C&T and worked within the EPC organization of the approximately 927.4 MW combined-cycle natural gas-fired power plant project in Kırıkkale. He assumed responsibility for project management, subcontractor management, installation, testing, and commissioning of the plant’s high-voltage systems, extending from the turbine-generator outputs and IPB systems through the power transformers and high-voltage cables to the 380 kV GIS substation. In addition to the installation and high-voltage testing of the 380 kV GIS system, he managed the establishment of PLC and OPGW/SDH multiplexer-based communication systems, communication links with remote substations, and grid testing activities conducted in coordination with Turkish System Operator (TSO), the Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation. During the initial energization and commissioning of the power plant, he coordinated grid compliance testing in accordance with the requirements of the Turkish electricity transmission system and participated in the acceptance processes of first the substation and subsequently the combined-cycle power plant before the Ministry of Energy and Turkish System Operator (TSO). Following commissioning, he continued to serve for a period as the Engineer Responsible for Operation of the plant’s GIS substation.

As Türkiye’s solar energy market began to expand rapidly, Bağdat transitioned into the renewable energy sector and worked with Solaray Enerji as Site Manager and Project Manager for three solar power plants owned by Çiftay İnşaat in Ankara, with a combined installed capacity of approximately 14 MW. In this role, he managed the complete EPC execution process, including subcontractor management, site installation, testing and commissioning activities, and final acceptance procedures with the relevant electricity distribution company.

He later joined Eltemtek, a subsidiary of Turkish System Operator (TSO), as Head of the Power Generation Facilities Department. In this capacity, he led the department responsible for pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies, surveys, preliminary engineering, and detailed engineering for numerous solar, wind, and biomass power generation projects across Türkiye. His responsibilities encompassed multidisciplinary electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering activities, supervision of field implementation, grid connection and testing processes, and project lifecycle management through provisional acceptance by the Ministry of Energy and other relevant public authorities.

In 2020, Bağdat left his position at Eltemtek and became a shareholder in Ardea Energy Technologies, which had been established in 2017. Over time, he increased his ownership interest and ultimately became the sole owner of the company. Since 2020, he has served as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Ardea Energy Technologies. Under his leadership, Ardea has provided engineering, design, feasibility, technical advisory, and project management services for more than 120 solar, wind, and biomass energy projects across Türkiye. The company operates across the full lifecycle of energy investments, from initial site and technology assessments, feasibility studies, and engineering through tendering and subcontractor management, construction supervision, testing and commissioning, provisional acceptance, and transition into commercial operation. In particular, Ardea has undertaken feasibility, technical advisory, and implementation assignments for World Bank-financed energy projects, playing an active role in technically developing projects, preparing them for financing, and advancing them toward investment and implementation.

In 2022, due to the strategic importance and accelerated implementation schedule of Türkiye’s Black Sea natural gas development, Bağdat provided technical support to the project for approximately six months within SLB (Schlumberger). In this role, he provided supervisory services for testing and commissioning activities associated with the natural gas facilities and contributed to their successful commissioning.

Building on his experience in conventional and renewable power generation, Bağdat has expanded his activities into next-generation energy technologies, particularly energy storage and nuclear energy. He currently serves as a Board Member of EDEDER – the Energy Storage Industries Association, one of Türkiye’s sectoral organizations focused on energy storage, contributing to initiatives aimed at developing the country’s energy storage ecosystem in cooperation with energy companies, industry stakeholders, and public institutions.

Under Bağdat’s leadership, Ardea Energy Technologies, in cooperation with Konya Metropolitan Municipality, carried out Türkiye’s first Small Modular Reactor (SMR) site selection, technology selection, and feasibility study. Through this milestone project, Ardea has extended its engineering, project development, and investment advisory expertise from conventional and renewable power generation into next-generation nuclear technologies. The company continues to work on the deployment potential of SMR technologies in Türkiye and neighboring markets, including site assessment and selection, technology evaluation and selection, technical and economic feasibility, and investment development.

Today, as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Ardea Energy Technologies, Abdulhamit Turgut Bağdat continues to combine his international EPC experience in natural gas-fired power generation and high-voltage systems with expertise in renewable energy, energy storage, and next-generation nuclear technologies, focusing on the development, engineering, financing readiness, and implementation of energy investments.