Solar To Become Türkiye’s Largest Power Source By 2026-End

By the end of 2026, solar energy will exceed cumulative installed hydropower capacity in Türkiye, becoming the country’s largest source of power generation, said Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar. 

The country’s total installed solar PV capacity at the end of April 2026 reached 26.7 GW, having expanded from zero over the last 13 years. It accounted for 21.3% of the country’s total installed electricity capacity, which reached 125.4 GW. For solar, this is a growth over the 25.83 GW reported at the end of January 2026 (see Türkiye’s Solar Capacity Exceeds 25 GW; Reaches 20.9% Of Power Mix). 

At 32.3 GW, hydropower accounted for 25.8% share of the total installed capacity, according to the latest government data. 

Altogether, Türkiye’s installed renewable energy capacity totaled 78.37 GW at the end of the reporting period, accounting for 62.5% of the total, with domestic sources contributing 71.7% of that total. 

Wind energy, with its 15.07 GW installed capacity, accounted for 12% of the national share. Together, solar and wind accounted for 41.8 GW, or 33.3% of total installed capacity. The government aims to add 8 GW to 10 GW of solar and wind annually to achieve the targeted 120 GW capacity for these technologies by 2035. 

To accommodate renewable energy, the government plans to invest close to $30 billion in green transmission infrastructure by 2035 while aiming to turn the country into a hub for regional energy trade by increasing its interconnection capacity.  

“Renewable energy, which makes a significant contribution to our 2035 Net Zero Emissions target, is increasingly taking up more space in our installed capacity,” said Bayraktar.  

He added, “We broke a record with the wind and solar power plants we commissioned in 2024. With the Collective Opening Ceremony of Renewable Energy Investments for 2025, which we will hold next week with the presence of our President, we will hopefully set another new record in this field.” 

According to an Ember report, the country can achieve its 120 GW wind and solar target with faster annual installations for which it should consider hybrid solar, storage-integrated wind and solar, and unlicensed installations for self-consumption to boost solar deployment (see Ember: Türkiye Installed 4.6 GW Solar PV Capacity In 2025). 

Türkiye is accelerating solar and wind capacity under its Renewable Energy Resource Area (YEKA) tenders, through which it has so far auctioned 7.8 GW capacity. In 2026, it plans to launch another YEKA round for 2 GW of capacity, out of which 1.5 GW will be for wind energy.