Türkiye’s solar, wind power capacity surpasses 40 GW

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s installed electricity capacity reached 123,284 megawatts at the end of January, with solar and wind power together exceeding 40,689 megawatts, according to the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry.

Renewable energy now accounts for 62.5 percent of total capacity, amounting to 77,114 megawatts.

Solar power capacity rose to 25,827 megawatts, representing 20.9 percent of the total, while wind power reached 14,862 megawatts, maintaining its 12.1 percent share. Combined, solar and wind accounted for 33 percent of Türkiye’s installed electricity capacity.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar highlighted the country’s long-term target of expanding solar and wind capacity to 120,000 megawatts by 2035. “In the past 23 years, we have carried out a silent revolution in renewable energy. From virtually zero capacity in solar and wind, we have now surpassed 40,000 megawatts. This means we have already achieved one-third of our 120,000 megawatt target,” Bayraktar said.

He underlined that different models are being applied to reach this goal, including the Renewable Energy Resource Areas (YEKA) scheme. Last year, YEKA tenders allocated 3,800 megawatts of capacity, and Bayraktar confirmed that at least 2,000 megawatts will continue to be tendered annually.

In addition, industrial producers are showing strong interest in self-consumption solar power plants, according to the minister.

In January, the ministry announced plans to allocate 3,500 megawatts of capacity for such projects, prioritizing public institutions and strategic sectors, he said.

Bayraktar also pointed to large-scale projects developed through intergovernmental agreements. He noted that Saudi Arabia will build solar and wind plants in Türkiye with a total capacity of 5,000 megawatts.

“In the first stage, we signed agreements for 2,000 megawatts of solar projects, which will provide Türkiye’s cheapest electricity at a fixed price for 25 years. Acting on a win-win principle, we may sign new bilateral agreements in the future. These projects will further strengthen our installed capacity and energy security,” he added.

Türkiye’s progress underscores its ambition to reduce its dependency on imported energy, with solar and wind power forming the backbone of its long-term energy strategy.