Türkiye Aims for 120,000 MW in Wind and Solar by 2035

Türkiye's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar reaffirmed that Türkiye aims to increase its wind and solar installed capacity to 120,000 megawatts by 2035, which will require the addition of 8,000 to 9,000 megawatts of new plants annually.

Speaking at a meeting in Istanbul on Nov. 27, Bayraktar noted that energy demand in Türkiye is rising rapidly, similar to global trends, The Caspian Post reports citing Turkish media.

"Over the last 20 years, electricity demand has tripled and natural gas demand has grown even faster. We forecast it will triple again in the next 30 years, from 350 terawatt-hours to 1,050 terawatt-hours," he said.

To meet this while reducing import dependence, Türkiye must activate domestic resources and shift to higher value-added production, Bayraktar added.

He highlighted progress in domestic gas production since 2016.

"We've reached output sufficient for 4 million households from the Black Sea. Next year, the Osman Gazi floating production platform will double it, and by 2028, quadruple it - covering 80 percent of household gas needs."

Exploration continues, with new drilling planned, Bayraktar said.

Bayraktar also updated on Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant: "Construction continues, with the first reactor over 90 percent complete. We expect power generation within about a year, providing uninterrupted, emission-free energy."

He also discussed rare earth elements.

"We've discovered one of the world's largest deposits and are advancing work. At our Eskişehir Beylikova pilot facility, we've reached 92-93 percent purity. Our goal is to bring this technology to Türkiye, positioning us among the top five global producers with an industrial plant," Bayraktar said.