Türkiye has allocated 80 gigawatts (GW) of capacity in renewable energy, with the potential to add 8 to 10 GW of installed power annually, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Wednesday.
As electricity demand continues to rise, investments in renewables and efficiency will be key to ensuring energy security and reducing external dependence, Bayraktar told the Energy Strategies Conference in the capital of Ankara.
Türkiye's solar and wind power capacity has reached 30 GW, and Bayraktar highlighted that 80 GW of renewable energy capacity has already been allocated to investors.
This includes 30 GW dedicated to industrial and commercial sectors, with growing interest from businesses in meeting their own energy needs.
Around 33 GW of storage and licensed capacities of over 10,000 megawatts have been allocated, said Bayraktar, adding that the country is on track to install 8 to 10 GW of renewable power annually, equivalent to the entire installed capacity of some European nations.
Türkiye's electricity demand is estimated to reach 510 terawatt-hours by 2035, according to the minister. He also noted that the country’s energy bill, which was around $96.5 billion in 2022 and $70 billion last year, is expected to remain at similar levels this year.
"We have invested $8.5 billion in energy efficiency between 2017 and 2023," Bayraktar said, "which helped prevent around 70 million tons of carbon emissions."
Looking ahead, Bayraktar outlined a target of achieving a 16% reduction in primary energy consumption by 2030, requiring $20 billion in investments over the next six years. This, he said, would prevent an estimated 100 million tons of carbon emissions.
Oil, gas search off Somalia
Critical minerals and nuclear energy, Bayraktar noted, will play a vital role in meeting Türkiye's climate goals.
The country’s energy plans include a 20 GW nuclear energy target, with plant projects in Akkuyu, Sinop and Thrace. He also emphasized the importance of small modular reactors in complementing these large projects.
He said Türkiye aims to maintain natural gas at 20% of its energy mix, with the Sakarya gas field expected to produce 10 million cubic meters per day by early 2025 before increasing to 20 million cubic meters by late 2026.
Meanwhile, Bayraktar also said Türkiye's seismic research vessel, MTA Oruç Reis, would depart for Somalia on Saturday to search for oil and gas as part of a hydrocarbon cooperation deal between the two countries.
In March, Türkiye signed an offshore oil and natural gas cooperation deal with Somalia. The two have also signed a defense and economic cooperation agreement earlier this year.
Türkiye has become a close ally of the Somali government in recent years. Ankara has built schools, hospitals and infrastructure and provided scholarships for Somalis to study in Türkiye.
In 2017, Türkiye opened its biggest overseas military base in Mogadishu. It also provides training to the Somali military and police.