This year's solar and wind-based renewable tenders have generated around 530 million euros (nearly $617 million) in revenue for the state, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Tuesday.
The competitions under the Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA) auction mechanism are part of Türkiye's push to expand clean energy capacity and accelerate progress toward national renewable targets.
Bayraktar's remarks came following the completion of Tuesday's YEKA wind tenders to allocate 1,150 megawatts (MW) of capacity, for which the minister said they had received more than 70 applications.
"We have reached the highest bid levels we have received so far," he said in a statement.
Tuesday's tenders were held for six projects. Electricity generated from these plants will be able to be sold on the free market for 60 months following the contract signing. Once this period concludes, a 20-year power purchase guarantee will go into effect.
"From today's wind tenders alone, we will receive 208 million euros, which will be paid upfront at the contract-signing stage," Bayraktar said. Citing all the tenders held this year, the minister said the state will receive more than 530 million euros, while consumers will benefit from low-cost electricity for 20 years.
The projects will also save around 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, Bayraktar said. "Over their 25-year lifespan – the first five years plus the following 20 years – total gas savings will reach $8.5 billion," he added.
Last month's solar power plant tenders allocated 650 MW of capacity across eight different regions. They also include a competition for Türkiye's first floating solar power plant in the western province of Manisa.
The first round of tenders in January and February awarded 1,200 MW for wind and 800 MW for solar projects.
Bayraktar on Tuesday said this year's YEKA projects would meet the electricity needs of roughly 1.5 million households, with a total project size reaching $1.1 billion.
He also highlighted legislative changes accelerating permitting processes for wind and solar investments. "Once these projects are brought online, Türkiye will take a major step in its green transition, reducing external dependence and increasing the share of clean energy," Bayraktar said.
Türkiye will move into a new capacity allocation phase after 2026, according to the minister.
"With the principle of 'generation where it's consumed,' we aim to further expand the sector, from rooftop solar installations for industrial self-consumption to hybrid capacities and additional wind capacity increases," he said.
Türkiye currently boasts 38,000 MW of combined solar and wind capacity and aims to raise this figure to 120,000 MW by 2035.
The country has limited oil and natural gas resources and suffers from a high current account deficit due to vast energy imports. It has been incentivizing private sector investments in renewable power plants since 2005 to reduce its high import bill and insulate itself from geopolitical risks.
While Türkiye's electricity consumption has tripled in the last two decades, it is expected to increase even faster in the coming years due to the long-term energy transformation.
The YEKA scheme was introduced in 2016 to facilitate land allocation for investors, ease the deployment of large projects and encourage the domestic production of renewable energy technologies.
The government later unveiled updates to the model to draw greater investor interest. Key enhancements included simplifying post-tender permitting procedures and introducing financial incentives like exemptions from transmission fees.
