TURKEY'S GREEN REVOLUTION
Turkey's renewable energy sources, principally wind and solar, slashed the nation's energy imports bill by a staggering $12 billion last year.
The ecological revolution in Turkey is backed by a surge in solar and wind energy, with savings of an astounding $12 billion on energy imports in 2022, as per Halil Demirdag, chairman of the Solar Energy Industrialists and Industry Association (GENSED).
Demirdag delivered these insights during an event in Ankara, revealing that this year's budget will allocate 520 billion Turkish Liras for subsidizing imported energy resources. He pointed out that a substantial portion of this funding goes towards subsidizing imported natural gas for electricity generation.
"We're importing this natural gas, subsidizing it, using it to generate electricity, and then selling it," Demirbag explicated. He further stressed the importance of energy storage systems, stating that they have reached a critical point where solar and wind energy can produce electricity at a reduced cost compared to energy generated from imported natural gas.
By the end of May 2025, Turkey's total installed capacity had increased to 119,271 MW. Hydraulic power, natural gas, and coal accounted for 27.1 percent, 20.6 percent, and 18.4 percent of the installed capacity, respectively, according to data from the Energy Ministry.
The wind and solar shares in the total installed capacity stood at 11.2 percent and 19 percent, respectively, with geothermal contributing another 1.5 percent. As of the end of 2025, the country had 381 wind and 34,010 solar electricity generation plants, as per the ministry’s data.
The Winding Path of Wind Energy
Wind energy has witnessed considerable investments over the years. In 2024, wind energy investments reached about 1,300 MW of new capacity with investments totaling approximately $1.3 billion. This investment is expected to surpass $1.5 billion in 2025 with planned wind capacity additions of 300-400 MW annually. By 2028-2029, the Turkish Wind Energy Association expects wind capacity to amount to roughly 3,500 MW.
The Bright Future of Solar Energy
Solar energy capacity has also seen exponential growth, reaching nearly 23 GW as of 2023, underscoring a significant year-over-year increase. Turkey's aims to increase its combined wind and solar installed capacity to 120,000 MW by 2035, an ambitious endeavor that will necessitate a hefty $80 billion in investments.
The Green Shift: Reducing Energy Imports and Enhancing Security
As a country with limited domestic oil and natural gas reserves, Turkey's shift towards renewable energy is strategic to curb energy import bills and lessen susceptibility to geopolitical risks and price fluctuations. Since 2005, the government has incentivized renewable power plant investments, enabling Turkey to diversify its energy mix and shield itself from global supply shocks.
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has underlined that Turkey now produces enough electricity from wind and solar to satisfy the annual electricity demand of all households in the country, underlining the burgeoning success and maturity of these sectors within Turkey's national energy landscape.
Despite potential geopolitical tensions leading to price fluctuations, Turkey does not anticipate major issues with energy supply security due to its growing renewable capacity. This commitment to clean energy is paving the way for a greener, more secure future for the nation.
- The finance sector is increasingly allocating funds towards the renewable-energy industry in Turkey, as witnessed by the $1.5 billion expected to be invested in wind energy alone in 2025.
- As Turkey's renewable-energy industry grows, the country aims to significantly reduce energy imports, with the goal of producing enough electricity from wind and solar to meet the annual electricity demand of all households by 2035, thereby enhancing energy security and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
