Turkey Boosts Solar Power Capacity by Nearly 6,000 MW in 2024, Setting a New Record
Turkey, which is around 70% dependent on imports for primary energy sources, spends approximately $80 billion annually on energy imports. In 2024, it successfully implemented renewable energy sources, achieving a record nearly 6,000 MW increase in installed capacity after adding only 2,338 MW in 2023. The total installed capacity exceeded 115,000 MW in 2024, with 59% coming from renewable energy sources.
Alper Kalaycı, Chairman of the Energy Industrialists and Businesspeople Association (ENSİA), evaluated the results of the energy sector for 2024, highlighting that the past year broke records in solar energy. He stated, “As a clean energy country, Turkey should focus on reducing its dependency on dirty and imported sources, ensuring supply security, and achieving a clean energy transformation. Our installed solar power capacity has surpassed 20,000 MW. Although we are still far from our potential, this data alone proves that Turkey is a ‘Solar Country’. In February, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources will hold six Renewable Energy Resource Area (YEKA) competitions with a total of 800 MW connection capacity for solar energy. In January, five wind YEKA competitions with a total of 1,200 MW installed capacity will take place in Edirne, Kırklareli, and Sivas. The announcement of the 2025 YEKA calendar in the Official Gazette is crucial for our investors to see their future, plan, and assess feasibility. This is something that the clean energy sector has been waiting for years. We also expect at least 2,000 MW of wind and solar YEKA tenders to be held each year in the coming years. The swift announcement of a multi-year calendar is critical for investors to complete their preliminary preparations,” he added.
Recalling the update of the 2035 Roadmap for Renewable Energy in 2024, Alper Kalaycı emphasized that Turkey has increased its wind and solar energy targets by 50%, raising them to 120,000 MW. He noted that the country will invest over $80 billion in these two energy sources alone over the next decade, with investments in other clean energy sources like hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass, and green hydrogen exceeding $100 billion, creating a massive investment portfolio. Kalaycı pointed out that this portfolio will be one of the most significant energy transition investments in the world.
Kalaycı stated, “We aim to quadruple our current wind and solar energy installed capacity by 2035. For those who know the dynamics of the sector, we must say that these targets are even insufficient. Turkey has a potential of at least 150,000 MW in onshore and offshore wind energy, and at least 250,000 MW in solar energy. We could meet the energy needs of four Turkeys with just these two energy types. By 2035, we will bring online at least 5,000 MW in solar energy and 2,000 to 3,000 MW in wind energy annually. We are rapidly advancing on this path where we started late, and we are closing the gap with developed countries.”
Kalaycı highlighted battery investments as another crucial topic for the clean energy sector, stating that the aim is to reach 80,000 MW of capacity by 2030. He emphasized the importance of battery installations for stable distribution of stored wind and solar energy investments and overall clean energy capacity, noting that many investment decisions will be made in 2025, with Turkey expected to gain significant momentum in this area starting in 2026.
On January 1, 2025, Turkey will also launch a new initiative. As part of the “Nearly Zero Energy Building” (NSEB) program aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impacts in new buildings, the renewable energy usage requirement will be raised from 5% to 10%. Alper Kalaycı assessed this initiative, indicating that approximately 30,000 buildings will be constructed under NSEB conditions annually from 2025, resulting in annual energy savings of 1,850 gigawatt-hours and a reduction of 450,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases. He mentioned that these values will cumulatively increase each year, with a goal of saving 102,000 gigawatt-hours by 2035.
Kalaycı added that every unit of saved energy means energy produced at zero cost, indicating that their demand was for this rate to be at least 20% in newly constructed buildings. He expressed support for the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change's decision, stating, “It’s not enough, but we say yes.”