Turkey Plans to Add 1000 MW Solar Capacity by 2022

Turkey will increase the share of renewable sources in energy production starting from 2022, Yeni Shafak, a leading local daily has reported.

The highest capacity rise for 2022 is expected to be seen in solar energy production with around 1,000 megawatts, the report added.

The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry’s strategic plan for 2023 aims to increase the ratio of renewable energy sources from 59 to 65 percent in the total electricity production.

The share of renewable energy in Turkey’s total installed power of 100,000 MW has reached 54,000 MWs. Turkey recently reached the 10 GW wind energy milestone.

GUYAD Renewable Energy Investors Association President Cem Ozkok said that Turkey is extremely rich in terms of natural, domestic and renewable resources such as wind, solar, hydro and geothermal.

“For Turkey to meet half of our electricity consumption from renewable energy, the ratio of our installed capacity to the current capacity must be at least 70 percent. This means approximately 35percent of non-HEPP renewable energy capacity. In other words, the target should be to commission at least 5 GW of renewable energy capacity every year,” Ozkok stressed.

He added that the system infrastructure should be reviewed to increase the renewable energy capacity in Turkey.

Ozkok said that foreign investors should be involved to the renewable energy transformation process in Turkey, since the projects require massive capital.

Furthermore, he underlined that necessary measures should be taken and favorable legislation should be adopted to promote the use of renewable energy sources in the country.

Expressing his expectations on effective and binding decisions to be made at the Glasgow Climate Summit to be held between from 1 to 12 November, Ozkok said that even though the target is to keep the warming at 1.5 degrees in a century, the world will face 2.7 degrees temperature increase with current policies.

“In order to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, countries need to increase their current plans by seven times in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030,” he added.