Turkey is set to invest $108 billion over the next decade to bolster its alternative energy infrastructure, targeting an installed capacity of 120 GW in wind and solar power. The investment will include approximately $80 billion for generation and $28 billion for transmission systems, aligning with European energy transition goals emphasizing increased capacity in renewables and grid improvements to enhance efficiency.
The Turkish government aims to meet 35% of its final energy demand with electricity by 2035, promoting domestic generation over imports. Energy Minister Arpaslan Bayraktar highlighted that Turkey has increased its installed electricity capacity from 32,000 megawatts to 126,000 megawatts since 2001, marking it as the third-largest in Europe behind France and Germany.
While Turkey expands its renewable energy sector, it continues to pursue oil and gas development domestically and internationally. The state energy company, TPAO, is active in the Black Sea and has interests in countries like Pakistan and Libya, despite tensions arising from operations offshore Cyprus.
Currently, hydropower contributes about 17% and wind and solar about 22% to Turkey’s energy mix, with coal still holding a significant 34% share. The government acknowledges the necessity of a reliable baseload energy supply as it navigates its energy transition.
