Türkiye’s hydropower sector is looking ahead with renewed optimism as increased rainfall and widespread snowfall this winter have bolstered expectations for electricity generation from hydroelectric power plants (HPPs).
According to data from the Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation (TEİAŞ), hydropower output in January 2025 stood at 4.83 million megawatt-hours, while in January 2026 it declined to 4.23 million megawatt-hours — a drop of roughly 12 percent compared to the same month last year. The recent surge in precipitation, however, is seen as a positive factor that could support production levels in the months ahead.
Elvan Tuğsuz Güven, president of the Hydroelectric Power Plants Industrialists’ Association (HESİAD), noted that 2025 had been a particularly challenging year due to severe drought conditions.
He explained that the broader trend of prolonged drought in recent years had made operations difficult for hydropower producers.
Güven emphasized the strategic importance of hydropower plants in Türkiye’s energy security, describing them as “the backbone of our electricity production and supply security since the day they came into operation.”
He highlighted that hydropower investments, which account for roughly one-quarter of installed capacity, are long-lived assets that continue to play a vital role in the energy mix.
"A significant shift occurred in the structure of electricity generation during the 2024–2025 period, with hydropower output accounting for 73.1 terawatt-hours, or 21 percent of total production in 2024, before declining to 57.2 terawatt-hours in 2025, reducing its share to 16 percent," Güven stated.
