Installed solar capacity exceeds 16,000 MW

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s solar energy installed capacity exceeded 16,000 megawatts (MW) as of last week, accounting for 14 percent of the country's total installed power capacity, which climbed to 111,463 MW.

The installed capacity in solar energy consists of power plants in 78 of the country's 81 provinces, while there are solar power plants with a capacity of over 111 MW in 35 provinces.

The Türkiye National Plan projects that the country’s electricity consumption will rise to 380.2 TWh in 2025, 455.3 TWh in 2030 and further up to 510.5 TWh in 2035.

Last year, power consumption declined 0.2 percent from 2022 to 330.3 TWh, while power generation was down 0.6 percent to 326.3 TWh.

Solar accounted for 5.7 percent of electricity generation in 2023, while the shares of wind and hydropower were 10.4 percent and 19.6 percent, respectively.

Coal and natural gas accounted for 36.3 percent and 21.4 percent of electricity production last year.

Türkiye has certain advantages, such as its geostrategic location and qualified human resources, which have enabled it to take important steps toward becoming a center of the renewable energy industry, especially in solar energy, said Cem Özkök, the head of the Energy Investors Association (GÜYAD).

Türkiye is taking those steps not only to meet its carbon emission targets but also to become a favored destination for solar power plants and panel production investments, he added.

“This increase in the installed solar power capacity demonstrates the country's potential in renewable energy and its attractiveness for international investors,” Özkök said.