YEKA tenders to mobilize large amount of investments

ISTANBUL

Solar and wind Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA) tenders to be held later this month will unleash billions of dollars of investments, according to Ali Rıza Öner, president of the Waste Management and Waste-to-Energy Producers Association (TAYED).

The YEKA tenders for 1,200 megawatts of wind and 800 megawatts of solar will be held on Jan. 21 and Jan. 27, respectively.

“Those tenders will pave the way for billions of dollars’ worth of investments,” Öner said, noting that Türkiye plans to undertake $108 billion worth of investments for energy transformation by 2035.

“Most of those investments will go to alternative energy resources. Large investments are planned for solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydropower, hydrogen and wave power,” he added.

YEKA tenders with 2,000 megawatts capacity will be held each year by 2035, Öner said, recalling that Türkiye aims for having a 120,000 megawatts solar and wind power installed capacity by that time.

To achieve this target 8,000 megawatts of capacity should come online each year, he explained.

He also noted the 113 waste disposal facilities in Türkiye, which generate power from waste.

More than 1 million households’ electricity needs are met by the power generated at those plants, according to Öner.

“Ninety of those 113 facilities are benefitting from the Renewable Energy Support Scheme (YEKDEM). They have a total installed capacity of 360 megawatts,” he detailed.

However, the support scheme for most of those facilities will expire soon, Öner said, stressing that the purchase guarantee period should be extended by another 10 years, otherwise many companies will drop the waste disposal business which will lead to environmental problems.