Turkey increased its electricity production from local and renewables sources in the first quarter of 2019 to 62% compared to 48.5% during the same period of last year, according to data from the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry on Monday.

Turkey produced 74.25 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first quarter of this year, of which 46.11 billion came from local and renewable energy resources.

The biggest share of these resources came from hydroelectric power plants at 30.41%, a significant rise from the 19.18% share in the first quarter of 2018.

In total production, local coal realized 16.22%, wind produced 8.33%, 3.04% came from geothermal sources, and solar, biomass and energy resources held a 4.09% share.

Imported resources amounted to a 38% share in Turkey's electricity production in the first quarter.

The share of natural gas fell to 17.9% in this year's first quarter, from 31% in the first quarter of last year.

Turkey's total installed local and renewables-based power capacity increased to 53.47 gigawatts from 50.31 gigawatts.

The statistics show that the increase in domestic production provided $513 million to close the account deficit.

Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said earlier in March that the country aims to produce 60% to 70% of its electricity from renewable and local resources.

By Murat Temizer

Anadolu Agency

energy@aa.com.tr