Türkiye embarks on multilayered energy transformation strategy: Minister

ISTANBUL

Türkiye is working to implement a multidimensional, multilayered and unique energy transformation strategy, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has said.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council’s regional conference on clean and secure energy conference in Istanbul, the minister said that the country’s renewable energy strategy for 2035 may be unveiled soon.

In line with the decarbonization target, Türkiye is focusing on five main areas in its long-term energy planning, according to Bayraktar.

“These are renewable energy, energy efficiency, nuclear energy, natural gas as a transition fuel and mines for energy transformation,” he explained.

Reminding that Türkiye ranks fifth in Europe and 11th in the world in renewable energy, Bayraktar said, “We have identified renewable energy as the area of development and the area with the highest potential for our country until 2053, the date we set the net zero emission target.”

Türkiye has a very ambitious renewable energy program that will cover the next 12 years, the minister added.

“We want to add 5,000 megawatts of solar and wind to our existing installed capacity each year. Thus, by 2035, we aim to increase our current installed capacity of 30,000 megawatts to 90,000 megawatts,” Bayraktar said.

Türkiye reduced energy consumption by 14 percent with the action plan implemented between 2017 and 2023 in energy efficiency, he noted.

“We unveiled the Second Energy Efficiency Action Plan covering the years 2024-2030, which foresees a total investment of around $20 billion by the public and private sectors. We will reduce energy consumption by 16 percent and thus lower carbon emissions by 100 million tons,” Bayraktar said.