Turkey is expected to increase the share of renewable sources in energy production starting from 2022. Solar energy production is predicted to witness the largest capacity increase in 2022, with around 1,000 MW. According to media reports, the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry’s strategic plan for 2023 intends to boost renewable energy sources’ share of overall electricity production from 59 to 65 per cent. Renewable energy now accounts for 54,000 MW of Turkey’s total installed power of 100,000 MW. Turkey recently passed the 10 GW wind energy mark.
As per a statement, for Turkey to meet half of the electricity consumption from renewable energy, the ratio of installed capacity to the current capacity must be at least 70 per cent. This means approximately 35 per cent of non-hydropower renewable energy capacity. In other words, the target should be to commission at least 5 GW of renewable energy capacity every year.
In October 2021, Turkey invited bids for a 1.5 GW solar tender for the fifth auction round of its Yenilenebilir Enerji Kaynak Alanları (YEKA) renewable energy programme. The ceiling tariff has been set at $0.045 per kWh by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. The Turkish government aimed to select 76 large-scale solar projects with capacities ranging from 10 MW to 30 MW across 23 regions. The bid submission deadline is January 12, 2022.
REGlobal’s Views: Turkey is planning massive solar installations to lower its carbon emissions and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. It has witnessed impressive decline in costs of new solar power projects making it an affordable option for the country.