Türkiye added 4.9 GW of solar and 1.7 GW of wind capacity in 2025, but this pace is below the 8 GW per year needed to reach its 2035 target, according to SHURA
Renewables accounted for 62% of total installed power capacity and 44.1% of electricity generation in 2025, even as hydropower output declined due to drought
YEKA auctions, hybrid power plants with storage, and grid upgrades are seen as key enablers to scale up solar and wind deployment
SHURA sees COP31 offering an opportunity for the country as its host to attract global investment and partnerships
Türkiye added 4.9 GW of solar PV and 1.7 GW of wind capacity in 2025 out of a total 6.3 GW of net new power capacity, while natural gas installed capacity decreased by close to 684 MW during the period. However, this pace remains insufficient to meet its 2035 goal of 120 GW of combined capacity from these sources, according to the SHURA Energy Transition Center.
The energy think tank believes the country needs to install 8 GW of wind and solar capacity annually to meet the 2035 target. SHURA says Türkiye’s cumulative installed power generation capacity reached 122 GW at the end of 2025, with renewables accounting for 62% of the total. Türkiye’s combined wind and solar capacity currently stands at 40 GW.
Gross electricity production in Türkiye reached 360 TWh, with 44.1% coming from renewables, down slightly from 46% in 2024. This matched the country’s gross electricity demand of 360 TWh, which was up from 353 TWh in 2024 due to increased cooling requirements amid high temperatures.
Yet, the share of wind, solar, and geothermal energy expanded to 24.6% from 21.3% in 2023, even as hydroelectric power generation declined due to drought.
Hybrid power plants, with the addition of storage, are also becoming widespread as this increases system flexibility, a trend that analysts expect to continue in 2026 as well. Energy think tank Ember believes the country has the potential to install 8 GW of solar PV capacity with hybrid systems by adding solar to existing privately owned wind and hydroelectric plants (see Ember: Turkey Can Unlock 8 GW Solar With Hybrid Plants).
SHURA lauds Türkiye’s flagship Yenilenebilir Enerji Kaynak Alanları (YEKA), or Renewable Energy Resource Area, auctions that have boosted interest in renewables. According to the analysts, 71% of the solar and wind energy capacity allocated via YEKA auctions has been commissioned.
The government is continuing with the scheme, having awarded 3.8 GW of solar and wind capacity in 2025, representing $4 billion in investments. It plans to conduct YEKA auctions for a minimum of 2 GW annually (see Türkiye’s Cumulative Installed Solar Capacity Exceeds 24 GW). Tender stability provides a roadmap for investors, stresses SHURA.
Along with increasing investments in solar and wind, Türkiye should also be focusing on enhancing grid flexibility, storage, and transmission infrastructure, according to SHURA. Grid constraints on unlicensed production could slow solar energy growth, it warns, which the government plans to compensate for through capacity allocations for self-consumption purposes.
As Türkiye gets ready to host COP31 in November this year, SHURA analysts see it as a significant opportunity for the country to increase its international visibility in the clean technology and trade sectors.
It will also open new doors for international financing and technological collaborations for its domestic industry, they add.