Türkiye has the potential to become a key hub in the global renewable energy supply chain, with no structural barriers preventing its companies from delivering wind and solar technologies worldwide, the head of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) said.
Speaking to Anadolu on the sidelines of the 16th General Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), GWEC Chief Executive Officer Ben Backwell said Türkiye combines strong wind and solar potential with a well-established industrial base capable of supporting global markets.
Backwell noted that Türkiye has developed its own wind energy supply chain, making the country an important industrial player in the sector.
He said that while much of Türkiye’s current manufacturing capacity serves regional markets, the country has long benefited from a mature industrial ecosystem and a wide range of strong companies.
According to Backwell, Türkiye’s renewable energy potential and industrial capabilities are being closely followed by international stakeholders.
He also highlighted Türkiye’s hosting of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) as a major opportunity, noting that the event will bring together key actors from across the global energy and climate landscape and offer a platform to showcase Turkish technologies and companies.
Underlining GWEC’s cooperation with Turkish firms across multiple areas, Backwell said several Turkish companies are already active internationally.
"We work very closely with the Turkish Wind Energy Association, which has many strong member companies active on the international stage," he said, adding that they are pleased COP31 will be held in Türkiye this year.
"This is a truly important opportunity. Türkiye serves as a natural bridge between Europe, the Middle East, and other regions, which makes COP31 particularly compelling," he said.
- 'COP31 must keep fossil fuel phaseout at center of agenda'
Backwell said that there are expectations regarding the success of COP31 and that Australia and Türkiye are cooperating well on preparing to host the event.
"We are confident that Türkiye wants to deliver a very successful COP," he said and added that the COP in Brazil was a very challenging summit, with many noteworthy discussions.
"Of course, no strong consensus was reached on the text regarding fossil fuels. There was a large group of countries pushing to move faster on climate and energy targets, and a much smaller group opposing this. As a result, it was one of the most contentious COPs we have seen in recent years. However, in my view, this also allowed some critical issues to be openly placed on the table, which is not a negative outcome. Sometimes it is useful to openly ask and debate the question of 'where are we heading?'" he said.
Backwell noted that although the proposal for a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels did not make it into the final outcome document, it received strong support from a broad group of countries.
"This is extremely important. We need to discuss where we are heading in the long term. We must clearly address how and how quickly we can phase out fossil fuels and place this issue at the center of the agenda," he said.
Backwell acknowledged that COP31 is likely to involve intense debates and differing views.
"It will not be easy to bring everyone to the same point. But collectively, we need to apply pressure in this direction, persuade people, and bring everyone to the table," he said.
By Gulsen Cagatay in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr