Parliament expected to pass energy reform bill this week

ISTANBUL

 A reform package that includes regulations for the energy and mining sectors and aims to streamline the permitting process is expected to be passed by parliament this week, says Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.

The package aims to shorten the permitting process — particularly for wind and solar energy investments — before projects can begin, he noted.

With the legislation of the bill, the permit process, which can presently take up to 48 months, will be reduced, Bayraktar said.

A faster permitting process is expected to accelerate the flow of financing into the sector, according to the minister.

Highlighting the goal of reaching 120,000 megawatts of installed capacity in renewable energy by 2035, Bayraktar stated: "Over the next 10 years, we will add 90,000 megawatts of new capacity in solar and wind energy."

“That means an annual increase of 8,000 to 9,000 megawatts. To achieve this, we need financing—we must be able to attract it,” he added.

Meanwhile, the reservoir area of Demirköprü Dam was selected as the candidate site for its first Renewable Energy Resource Area (YEKA) floating solar power plant project, the Energy Ministry announced.

The floating solar power plant will be integrated with the existing hydroelectric power infrastructure in the Demirköprü Dam reservoir, marking a significant step in the country's renewable energy efforts.

The power plant was built on the Gediz River at a distance of 100 kilometers from the western province of Manisa and 27 kilometers from Salihli district.