Türkiye to continue to pursue resource diversification strategy: Energy Minister

ANKARA

Türkiye remains committed to a diversified energy portfolio, investing in both traditional and renewable energy sources, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has said.

“Our energy objectives are multi-faceted including ensuring supply security, affordability, achieving net-zero emissions and attaining energy independence,” Bayraktar said in article published on the World Energy Council’s website.

Critics may question Türkiye's continued investment in oil and gas amidst global calls for decarbonization, he said, adding that similar to renewables, increased activities in the oil and gas industry serve multiple objectives.

Türkiye’s self-sufficiency in energy rose above 30 percent only very recently, according to the minister.

This achievement has been the result of a balanced approach that includes both renewables adoption and hydrocarbon exploration and production to create domestic alternatives to the country’s oil and gas imports, Bayraktar said.

The global oil demand remains significant, with Türkiye contributing approximately 1 million barrels per day, he noted.

“It is not feasible nor rational to abruptly abandon fossil fuels without creating alternative pathways that ensure the welfare of our people and maintain our competitive position globally,” Bayraktar stressed.

“A transition ignoring the reality may impact public opinion due to drastic increases in energy prices, jeopardizing public support for net-zero targets and turning the transition period into a missed opportunity,” he argued.

For all nations, but especially for developing ones like Türkiye, the transition must be responsive, rational, flexible and digital, according to the minister.

It is essential to be aware of the emerging technologies and the availability of the options to be included in the energy mix, he said.

“This is why Türkiye is the country that simultaneously hosts the world’s largest nuclear plant construction site, one of the largest offshore natural gas discoveries of recent years, platforms enabling regional trade of natural gas and oil, approximately an 80 GW pipeline of renewable projects,” Bayraktar underlined.

A collective and holistic approach to energy will give Türkiye a resilient national energy system, he said.

Türkiye’s installed capacity is 107,959 megawatts as of the end of March.

Of that capacity, 29.6 percent is hydraulic, 11.7 percent is solar and 11.2 percent is wind. The shares of natural gas and coal are 23.2 percent and 20.2 percent, respectively.

The number of electricity generation plants in the country reached 18,231, including unlicensed plants.

There was a total of 16,144 solar 364 wind power and 63 geothermal power plants as of March, while 757 hydraulic, 363 natural gas and 69 coal power plants were actively generating energy.