Clean energy may halve Türkiye’s fossil fuel imports by 2030: Report

LONDON

Türkiye relies on fossil fuel imports for half of its power generation that can be halved by 2030 with a faster transition to clean power sources, London-based Ember said in a report.

Solar power in particular needs to be a vital component of this transition, it added, noting that Türkiye generated 50 percent of its electricity from imported coal and gas in 2021.

“With an accelerated clean energy transition, the country can reduce foreign dependence in power generation to less than 25 percent by 2030. But this requires wind and solar to make up more than a third of total power generation,” the report said.

It estimated that in order to lower dependence on fossil fuel imports, around 4 GW of new solar power capacity is needed every year by 2030 and noted that recent deployment rates hover around only 1 GW per year. “Despite the fact that domestic manufacturing capacity could achieve eight times that every year and solar auctions are attracting applications for capacity 10-15 times larger.”

Türkiye’s installed solar power capacity was 8.8 GW as of August.

To halve dependence on fossil fuel imports, wind power capacity needs around a threefold rise by 2030, up from 11.1 GW as of August 2022, the report said, adding that this will mean around 2.5 GW new wind power capacity added every year by 2030.

Energy imports accounted for around one-third of Türkiye’s total imports in January-September, said Trade Minister Mehmet Muş on Oct. 4.

Energy import bill increased by 135 percent on an annual basis to $73.85 billion in the first nine months of 2022, showed the latest data from the Trade Ministry.

In 2021 Türkiye announced a net zero target by 2053 and last year it ratified the Paris Agreement.