Türkiye added a record-breaking 6,818 megawatts of wind and solar power capacity in 2024, the Turkish energy and natural resources minister said Wednesday, pledging to surpass the figure this year.
'We hope to surpass this figure this year and bring a new record level of installed capacity online,' said Alparslan Bayraktar, speaking at the 2024 Renewable Energy Investments Mass Opening Ceremony in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
Türkiye aims to reach 120,000 megawatts of installed capacity by 2035 through annual Renewable Energy Resource Area (YEKA) tenders of at least 2,000 megawatts, the minister said.
He explained that the target will be supported by self-consumption projects from industry and tourism, as well as solar, wind, rooftop systems, and offshore wind developments with storage integration.
'In 23 years, we have increased our wind and solar capacity from zero to over 35,000 megawatts,' he said.
'This production now meets the annual electricity needs of all households in Türkiye. Renewable energy has become one of the cornerstones of our system,' he added.
Noting that under the redesigned YEKA model, tenders were held in January and February for projects totaling 2,000 megawatts across 11 regions, the minister said, 'Alongside domestic investors, companies from the Far East, Middle East, and Europe showed strong interest.'
The winning bids generated $220 million in upfront license payments, he said.
'These projects will attract $2 billion in investment over the next three years, supplying electricity to approximately 2.3 million households and helping to avoid $540 million in annual natural gas imports,' he explained.
The next round of YEKA tenders is scheduled for October for solar projects and November for wind projects, each offering another 2,000 megawatts of capacity, he noted.
The Turkish minister said that over the next 10 years, Türkiye will invest $28 billion to build 14,700 kilometers of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines with a capacity of 40 gigawatts, along with 15,000 kilometers of additional alternating current (AC) transmission network.
Currently, Türkiye’s transmission grid spans 75,000 kilometers.
AA
