Electricity generated from wind and solar energy helped Türkiye curb $12 billion (TL 474.47 billion) in energy imports last year, Halil Demirdağ, head of the Solar Energy Industrialists and Industry Association (GENSED), said Wednesday.
With limited oil and natural gas resources, Türkiye has for years sought to rely more on cleaner energy resources in a drive to replace costly fossil fuel imports that have left it vulnerable to price volatilities and widened its current account deficit.
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, meanwhile, on Monday said energy prices could rise further amid escalating attacks between Israel and Iran. But he said Türkiye does not expect any issues regarding supply security.
Renewable resources like wind and solar play a crucial role in diversifying Türkiye’s energy mix and shielding it from global supply shocks, GENSED's Demirdağ told an event in Ankara.
"If consumption rises unpredictably, you cannot control energy prices. Investments are essential for the sustainability of the sector," he noted.
The Turkish government has been incentivizing 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.
This year, the government is expected to allocate about TL 520 billion to subsidize imported energy resources – mainly natural gas used in electricity production, according to Demirdağ.
“We import natural gas, subsidize it, convert it into electrical energy, and sell it. Last year, electricity production from solar and wind helped prevent $12 billion in energy imports," he said.
He added that Türkiye has now reached a stage where it can produce and store electricity at a lower cost than gas-based energy and deliver it back to the grid in under a third of a second, significantly boosting flexibility.
“Energy storage systems will become increasingly vital,” Demirdağ said.
Halit Erol, a board member of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO), cited the Ukraine war and the Israel-Iran conflict as stark reminders of the geopolitical fragility of energy supply chains.
Erol emphasized that structural transformations reducing Türkiye's energy dependency are key to limiting the economic impact of crises.
"Steps taken in the areas of energy diversification, domestic production and sustainability will strengthen our country’s resilience against such geopolitical fluctuations. Black Sea gas, renewable investments and nuclear energy initiatives give hope for Türkiye’s journey toward self-sufficiency in energy," he noted.
Türkiye boasts more than 33 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity in wind and solar energy. It plans to lift this figure to 120 GW by 2035, according to the government's targets.
Erol emphasized Türkiye’s vast solar potential, urging coordinated efforts in technology, financing and regulation to unlock its full value.
"For this potential to translate into economic strength, strong coordination is needed in technology, financing and regulations. Our industrial sector must be at the heart of this transformation. The most effective way to reduce our dependence on foreign energy is to maximize the efficiency of our local and renewable resources," he added.
Erol highlighted that energy storage systems also play a key role in grid security and that policies in this area will be decisive in shaping the green transformation of the industry.
