Türkiye expects record solar power capacity growth in 2022

Türkiye is expected to add a record 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar power this year, owing to the urgency of increasing domestic supply in the face of the energy crisis and the accelerated recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a top company official in an interview with Anadolu Agency.

Türkiye's installed solar power capacity stood at 8.96 GW at the end of September, with the total installed electricity capacity reaching approximately 102.3 GW.

"With the record capacity additions until the end of this year, we could expect Türkiye's installed solar power capacity to reach 10 GW," said Evren Evcit, director of Zorlu Solar and Foreign Investments at Zorlu Enerji Group.

The substantial growth in solar power additions this year relative to the additions of 1.5 GW of capacity last year started following the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerated with the impact of the energy crisis.

Due to the energy crisis, supply is the most critical issue for every country, according to Evcit. To that end, he advised that the country's vast potential for clean resources such as solar, wind, and geothermal power can help with supply deployment and security, particularly solar, which can be operational in the same fiscal year as its inception.

Türkiye has the technical capacity to install 3 to 4 GW of solar power per year, and it is expected to add 3 GW by 2023.

Evcit underlined the importance of sustainable solar market growth, which could result in the addition of 4 GW of capacity from 2025 onwards.

Keeping growth to sustainable standards is critical for suppliers, investors and for the country's energy mix to transition to renewable energy in a balanced way, he said.

"Such planned and sustainable growth in the market will help investors and suppliers to plan while financial institutions can allocate enough finance to support projects accordingly," he said.

Evcit also called for a more efficient and speedy permit process for solar deployment to ensure the country continues as a hub for international investors and holds its position as the biggest solar PV panel production base in Europe, with 9 GW annually.

"International investors are quite positive about investments in the solar power market in Türkiye, as the country has become a hub, especially after the energy crisis. Investors see the growth potential and also the ability to produce in the country and supply to Europe and other regions from here," he concluded.