Türkiye rises to 11th place in terms of global renewable energy capacity

Türkiye has moved up one place and is now among the 11 countries in the world with the most installed renewable energy capacity, the country’s energy minister announced on Wednesday.

“We have joined the group of 11 countries that lead in the field of renewable energy in the world and we rank fifth in Europe,” said Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, citing data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Türkiye, heavily dependent on energy imports for energy needs, has managed to increase overall energy production while reducing coal production in recent years, thanks to an aggressive increase in the use of clean energy from wind, solar, geothermal and hydro installations.

It has contributed enormous capital to expand and strengthen its infrastructure and energy networks.

Bayraktar said that by generating energy from renewable sources, Türkiye is not only reducing its dependence on imports, but also making steady progress towards achieving its 2053 net zero emissions target.

“Türkiye is working to integrate its solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and all renewable resources into its economy in accordance with a specific program.”

According to IRENA statistics on renewable capacity for 2024, China is in first place. In second place are the United States and Brazil, as well as India, Germany, Japan, Canada, Spain, France and Italy.

With an installed capacity of 58,462 megawatts, Türkiye ranked 11th, ahead of Russia, the UK, Australia and Vietnam. In the previous ranking, she was in 12th place.

As part of its energy policy, the country is actively seeking to incorporate solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower into its energy mix.

The government’s policy is to deploy 5,000 megawatts of renewable capacity annually, including 3,500 megawatts of solar energy and 1,500 megawatts of wind energy.

Ultimately, it aims to reach 60,000 megawatts of new installed capacity by 2035.

“In April 2024, we exceeded 1,400 megawatts. We will definitely reach the 5,000 megawatt target by the end of the year,” Bayraktar said.

He declared that the total installed electricity capacity in Turkey is 110,000 megawatts, of which 25,000 megawatts comes from renewable energy sources.

Bayraktar noted that the goal is to increase current installed capacity from 25,000 megawatts to 30,000 megawatts by the end of the year and 35,000 megawatts by 2025.

The country aims to further expand this capacity to about 90,000 megawatts by 2035, he added.

“Every kilowatt-hour of electricity we produce from renewable energy means a reduction in the amount of natural gas, coal and oil we import,” Bayraktar said.