Türkiye aims for 8-10 GW annual capacity growth of renewables

ANKARA

A total capacity allocation of 80,000 megawatts in renewable energy has been reached in Türkiye, with an anticipated annual installation of 8 to 10 gigawatts as these capacities come online, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has said.

Around 33,000 megawatts of storage and licensed capacities of over 10,000 megawatts have been allocated, said Bayraktar, addressing the Energy Strategies Conference in Ankara.

Türkiye also needs to improve the existing permit processes to facilitate the expansion of renewable energy capacity in Türkiye, Bayraktar added, stating that the ministry has already conducted a thorough analysis of the issue.

The ministry aims at reducing the existing four-year permit period to two years, he said.

“Türkiye is entering a new period of reform and investment in energy. At the forefront of our reforms is an improvement in the permit process,” he added.

The ministry intends to introduce this issue to the Turkish parliament for consideration shortly, Bayraktar noted.

Bayraktar added that the ministry will share details on the new YEKA (Renewable Energy Resource Zone) tender process and the 2035 strategy document later this month.

“Türkiye needs to combat external dependency while ensuring energy supply security,” he also said, stressing that by 2053, the country has the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral economy.

Stating that the energy bill was $96.5 billion in 2022 and around $70 billion dollars last year, Bayraktar said that they expect it to be at a similar rate this year.