Türkiye expects record growth in renewable energy capacity this year

ISTANBUL

Türkiye is boosting the share of renewable energy in its total installed capacity daily, with 2024 expected to mark a record year for overall capacity growth, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Friday.

Bayraktar, speaking at the one-day Istanbul Energy Forum organized by Anadolu under the auspices of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, stated that Türkiye is now able to meet the electricity needs of all households in the country through wind and solar energy.

“By 2035, we aim to quadruple our current wind and solar installed capacity,” he added.

Last month, Bayraktar said Türkiye aims to expand its wind and solar capacity to 120,000 megawatts by 2035, which will require nearly $80 billion in investment.

Regional cooperation

Bayraktar also stressed Türkiye’s commitment to developing regional energy cooperation, stating that the country would continue to work on projects contributing to the energy security of both Türkiye and the surrounding region.

Ankara is determined to advance international oil and natural gas pipelines, as well as electricity and natural gas transmission lines with its neighbors, he added.

Bayraktar said he had discussed these bilateral and multilateral energy cooperation projects with fellow officials and company representatives from several countries on the sidelines of the forum.

Acknowledging the energy sector’s ongoing challenges, Bayraktar warned that "much more challenging processes may lie ahead."

“We believe that we can only be ready for these challenges through strong regional cooperation and projects, and that we can manage these processes by working closely together,” he said.