According to a new report from energy think tank Ember, Türkiye has doubled its solar energy capacity in just two and a half years, reaching 19.6 GW by the end of 2024.
The figure is 1.5 years ahead of the 2025 target set in the National Energy Plan (NEP). This rapid growth, driven by installations for self-consumption, far outpaces the previous doubling period of over four years between 2018 and 2022.
Unlicensed plants for self-consumption accounted for 90% of new installations in the past four years, aided by regulatory changes in 2022 that expanded distributed solar opportunities.
Over the last two and a half years, solar power has generated 52 TWh of electricity, meeting 6% of Türkiye’s total supply and avoiding $5.4bn in natural gas imports. Combined with wind energy, renewables have prevented $15bn in natural gas imports during this period.
Looking forward, Türkiye aims to build on its solar momentum. Rooftop, hybrid, and storage-integrated projects represent significant untapped potential, with rooftop solar alone estimated at 120 GW. Hybrid plants have added 1 GW of capacity, with 3.5 GW in development.
Meanwhile, pre-licensed storage-integrated solar projects now total over 14 GW, far exceeding the NEP’s 2030 target of 2.1 GW.
Initiatives like the Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA) have also supported large-scale solar projects, with recent updates simplifying permitting processes and introducing new tenders, including an 800 MW project for 2025.
Energy Analyst Bahadır Sercan Gümüş notes: “By doubling its solar energy capacity in just two and a half years and surpassing its 2025 target ahead of schedule, Türkiye has demonstrated its potential to set more ambitious goals.
“Raising renewable energy targets and maintaining the momentum offers Türkiye the opportunity to reduce its dependence on energy imports, strengthen energy security, and assert its commitment more prominently on the international stage.”
With hybrid plants, YEKA projects, and ongoing developments including 24 GW of self-consuming solar plants, Türkiye’s solar capacity could surpass 55 GW by 2030.
