Solar and wind power plants with storage have enabled a strategic transformation in Türkiye’s energy infrastructure, according to the head of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA).

Speaking to Anadolu during the inauguration of Türkiye’s first commissioned solar power plant with storage, EMRA President Mustafa Yilmaz said the facility was built on land officially designated as nonarable.

"We said that energy would be produced in areas where agriculture is not feasible. Today, we are seeing the concrete outcome of this approach on site," he said.

Yilmaz said that the approach highlights the importance of ensuring that no land remains idle.

He said the plant, with an installed capacity of around 50 megawatts, will be expanded through additional phases in the coming period, adding that other licensed and unlicensed power plants are also located in the same region.

Overall capacity in the area will rise as projects are commissioned, he said.

Yilmaz noted that another power plant with a capacity of around 30 megawatts is also located nearby, adding that total investments in the region amount to $35 million–$40 million.

"A significant amount of electricity will be generated here. This production is particularly important in terms of contributing to the region's energy balance," he said.

- Storage-based investments boost grid balance

Yilmaz said the facility is the first of its kind for the authority and is expected to set an example for other license holders.

He said the 34,000 megawatts of preliminary licenses issued so far for storage-based solar and wind power projects will enhance energy supply security as they come online.

Storage-based investments also help balance seasonal demand by supporting cooling needs in summer and heating needs in winter, while forming a key pillar of Türkiye’s goal of becoming an energy trading hub, he added.

"We plan to bring an additional solar power plant of about 350 megawatts online within a month. Licenses for wind power plants have also begun to be issued," he said.

Once the investments are realized, Yilmaz said, around 6,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity is expected to be commissioned annually.