Sector News
Turkey’s success in renewables is helping diversify its energy mix and increase its energy security
Efforts to boost production and accelerate energy efficiency will help Turkey achieve its energy security goals, but it should consider its longer-term emissions trajectory too, IEA report says.
Turkey has made solid progress in recent years in improving the security and diversity of its energy supplies but should also pay close attention to the sustainability and longer-term carbon footprint of its energy sector, according to a new policy review by the International Energy Agency.
Since the previous IEA in-depth review of Turkey in 2016, market reform and energy security have remained the guiding principles of the government’s energy policy. Rapid economic and population growth in the past two decades have not only driven strong growth in energy demand but also an increase in import dependency, especially for oil and gas.
As a result, Turkey has emphasised security of energy supply as one of the central pillars of its energy strategy. This includes efforts to expand domestic oil and gas exploration and production – which received a significant boost from the recent discovery of the giant Sakarya gas field in the Black Sea –and to diversify oil and gas supply sources and infrastructure.
Turkey has also sought to strengthen the security of its energy supply by increasing production of renewable energy and reducing energy consumption through increased energy efficiency. Auctions, in particular, have proven successful in driving down costs and increasing investments in renewables. The planned commissioning of Turkey’s first nuclear power facility in 2023 will further diversify the country’s low-carbon fuel mix.
“Turkey has seen significant diversification of its energy mix in the past decade. In particular, bolstered by a supportive policy environment, renewable energy has grown impressively, led by hydropower, solar and wind,” said Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA Executive Director, who is launching the report today with Dr Alparslan Bayraktar, Turkey’s Deputy Minister for Energy and Natural Resources.
Dr Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director
Turkey’s renewable capacity grew by 50% over the last five years. In 2019, Turkey had the fifth highest level of new renewable capacity additions in Europe and the 15th highest in the world. The IEA report notes that Turkey can achieve even stronger growth in renewables – especially solar, wind and geothermal – given its considerable resource endowment. Its rich potential for expansion of renewables is not limited to electricity generation but is also relevant in the heating sector. Notably, Turkey uses only an estimated 3% of its solar and 15% of its onshore wind potential.
For Turkey to establish a modern and competitive economy, the report highlights that the government should pay close attention to the sustainability of its energy sector and its longer-term carbon footprint. In particular, Turkey should reconsider the role of lignite-based power generation in a low-carbon future. It will be equally important to direct industrial policy to take into account the growing momentum behind global clean energy transitions. This can take the form of further promoting innovation in areas such as electric vehicles, energy storage and digital technologies.
Turkey has already made significant progress on liberalising energy markets in the last decade, successfully improving predictability and transparency in pricing. However, additional reforms to make gas and electricity markets more competitive will help mobilise the investments needed by these sectors, including for clean energy technologies.
“Turkey has achieved impressive results in the past decade in liberalising its energy markets, boosting the role of renewables and improving its energy security. I hope this report will help inform Turkish policy makers’ decisions as they look to navigate the next phase of the country’s energy development in the most cost-effective, secure and sustainable way possible,” said Dr Birol.
Two experienced professionals in Türkiye’s wind energy sector are taking their long-standing relationship to the next level through a strategic collaboration. Alper Kalaycı, Co-Founder of EnconIQ Energy Consultancy Ltd., and Levent İshak, Co-Founder of Lewind Energy Consultancy Ltd., will collaborate to develop new projects and improve the performance of existing wind power plants.
Kalaycı and İshak, whose friendship dates back to their studies at Dokuz Eylül University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1991, are carrying nearly 35 years of shared experience into this new partnership. Both have been actively involved in the wind energy sector since 1998 and aim to further leverage their accumulated expertise through this collaboration.
By combining their complementary capabilities, the two will work together on both the development of new investments and the enhancement of operational efficiency in existing wind power plants.
Türkiye’s targets provide momentum for the sector
Commenting on the collaboration, Alper Kalaycı highlighted Türkiye’s energy transition:
“In line with our country’s 2035 targets, we need to increase our current wind installed capacity by approximately three times. This clearly demonstrates the strong growth potential of our sector. In the coming period, significant opportunities are expected both in new investments and in local manufacturing. With this collaboration, we aim to make more effective use of these opportunities.”
Operation and maintenance play a critical role
Levent İshak emphasized the importance of the operational phase:
“One of the most significant cost components in wind energy projects is operation and maintenance. Structuring these processes correctly from the outset, designing contracts accordingly, properly identifying risks, and managing them effectively are of great importance. Ensuring that this structure is implemented correctly during operation is critical for long-term performance. With this collaboration, we aim to create value both in structuring long-term contracts for new projects and in improving the performance of existing power plants.”
Complementary expertise, shared vision
The collaboration brings together Alper Kalaycı’s experience in manufacturing, localization, and project development with Levent İshak’s expertise in turbine supply, maintenance, service, and operations, aiming to create a strong synergy within the sector.
ENERCON will supply wind turbine technology for another major project in Türkiye. For the “Balıkesir 1” wind farm in the northwest of the country, operator Polat Enerji has ordered 23 wind turbines of ENERCON’s new flagship model, the E-175 EP5 E2. The supply contract was signed on 27 April in Istanbul. With a total capacity of 161 MW, the wind farm is part of the YEKA 5 tender, for which Polat Enerji recently received the award from the Turkish Ministry of Energy.
“We have enjoyed a long-standing and close cooperation with Polat Enerji in the expansion of wind energy in Türkiye,” said Udo Bauer, CEO of ENERCON. “With ‘Balıkesir 1’, we will have jointly realised more than 1 gigawatt of installed capacity in Türkiye. We intend to continue this partnership for the energy transition together in the future. We are very pleased to implement the ‘Balıkesir 1’ project together using our new E-175 EP5 E2 turbine model.”
“Our journey began a quarter-century ago with an early and firm belief in Türkiye’s renewable energy potential,” said Evren Güvenç, CEO of Polat Enerji. “Today, Polat Enerji has evolved into a strategic player managing high-scale investments across Türkiye and Europe. The Balıkesir 1 project, secured through the YEKA tenders, is a testament to our continuous growth; for us, leadership is defined by more than just increasing installed capacity. We measure our progress not only by power output but by our optimisation capabilities and system flexibility. By leveraging our end-to-end expertise – from investment to operation – we are reinforcing our position as a pioneering actor shaping the transformation of the entire energy landscape.”
The E-175 EP5 E2 is ENERCON’s new top model. With a rated power of 7.0 MW and a rotor diameter of 175 metres, it is one of the most powerful onshore wind turbines in Europe in terms of energy yield. The E-175 EP5 E2 is also a central pillar of the company’s market strategy and forms the basis of the solution portfolio with which ENERCON supports its customers.
The supply agreement for the “Balıkesir 1” wind farm marks another milestone in the market launch of the E-175 EP5 E2 in Türkiye. The country is an important international strategic target market for ENERCON. To supply Turkish wind farm projects with the new E-175 EP5 E2, ENERCON will continue its proven localisation strategy with long-standing Turkish production partners and will also manufacture selected main components of the new top model in the country in the future.
“This allows us to meet the local content requirements of the Turkish tender system,” said Arif Günyar, Regional Head of the Central Asia / Middle East / Africa (CAMEA) region. “We are fully committed to the Turkish market and to the energy transition in Türkiye. We look forward to opening a new chapter of cooperation with Polat Enerji as well as with other Turkish customers and interested parties.”
Construction of the “Balıkesir 1” wind farm is scheduled to begin in September 2027, with commissioning expected by the end of December 2027. A total of 23 wind turbines will be installed on steel towers.
Gülle Entegre Tekstil İşletmeleri, one of Türkiye’s leading integrated yarn and fabric manufacturers with 55 years of experience, has signed a wind turbine supply and service agreement with Goldwind for the Gülle Wind Power Plant (WPP) Project. The project aims to meet the energy consumption of its production facilities located in Ergene, Tekirdağ.
According to the agreement, the project, located in the Ergene district of Tekirdağ, will utilize Goldwind’s GW155-4.8MW turbine model, featuring a hub height of 110 meters, a capacity of 4.8 MW, and a rotor diameter of 155 meters. The agreement also includes a 10-year full-service package covering maintenance and availability services.
The Gülle WPP Project is planned to be commissioned in December 2026. Upon completion, the plant is expected to reach an annual electricity generation capacity of approximately 16 million kWh.
Mature Capital has provided two-phase advisory services to Gülle Entegre Tekstil from the initial concept stage of the investment. In the first phase, project development, advisory services included the preparation of economic and technical feasibility studies in line with current investment conditions, as well as strategic and procedural guidance on regulatory and permitting processes (such as EPDK, EIA, zoning, and grid connection procedures).
In the second phase, once the project reached a certain level of maturity in terms of permits, Mature Capital provided advisory services for wind turbine selection, final supplier decision-making, and the negotiation of turbine supply and service agreements.
Habib Babacan, General Manager of Mature Capital
Commenting on the agreement, Habib Babacan, General Manager of Mature Capital, stated:
“We are very pleased to see the outcome of our efforts and work materialize with this important agreement, which marks the realization of our approximately three-year collaboration with our investor, Gülle Entegre Tekstil.
We would like to thank the Goldwind Türkiye team for their cooperation and support during the contract phase, and our investor Gülle Entegre Tekstil for their trust in Mature Capital. We wish the Gülle WPP Project to be beneficial for both parties.”
About Mature Capital
Since 2022, Mature Capital has been exclusively focused on the wind energy sector, providing advisory services to investors in the areas of business development, project development, strategy formulation, and project transfer (M&A) for wind power projects.
In its fourth year of operation, the company has continued to expand its activities and has successfully completed 18 advisory projects with 15 different investor groups since its establishment.
Mature Capital will continue to provide high-quality and reliable services to wind energy investors in Türkiye.
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