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Turkey wind energy capacity surpasses 11,400 megawatts and is made up of power facilities in 47 provinces, with Izmir having the biggest capacity
According to figures released on Thursday, Turkey’s installed electrical capacity hit 104,348 megawatts (MW) at the end of March, while wind power capacity reached 11,426 MW.
While the contribution of renewable energy sources in power generation is rising, wind energy now accounts for 10.9% of Turkey’s installed electrical capacity, according to statistics acquired from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
The installed wind power capacity in Türkiye, which is largely made up of licensed power facilities, is spread over 47 provinces.
Unlicensed wind energy generating stations with a combined capacity of 88.4 MW are found in 15 provinces.
The western city of Izmir has the most installed wind energy capacity, with 1,754.9 MW, followed by Balkesir, also in the west, with 1,382.4 MW.
Çanakkale came in second with 943.7 MW, Istanbul came in third with 838.7 MW, and Manisa with 701.7 MW.
Bursa, Hatay, Aydin, Kirklareli, and Kayseri are among the top ten cities in terms of wind energy capacity installed.
Meanwhile, according to statistics from the Turkish Wind Energy Association (TÜREB), the Turkish wind energy sector is expanding not just in terms of capacity but also in terms of equipment manufacture.
According to TÜREB, approximately 100 Turkish enterprises in this industry export wind energy equipment to 44 countries across six continents. Wind energy equipment exports account for over 70% of these companies revenue.
Türkiye’s data
With increasing concerns about climate change and the high cost of imported energy, Turkey has taken measures to strengthen its renewable energy industry and has made significant investments in related areas in recent years.
Current renewable capacity in the nation accounts for more than half of total installed electricity capacity, which stood at 104,488 MW on April 7.
Wind is the second-largest renewable source of electricity, behind hydropower, with a capacity of roughly 31,600 MW. In the same time period, Turkey solar power installations reached 9,820 MW.
Moreover, at least 1,000 MW of wind and solar energy capacity will be added to the country’s renewable portfolio in 2023.
Renewables will account for more than 95% of new capacity additions in the country in 2021. With the addition of about 1,750 MW in 2021, the country recorded a record-high annual rise in wind energy, surpassing the previous all-time high of 1,248 MW installed in 2016.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Turkey’s renewable energy capacity will increase by 64% to 90 gigatonnes (GW) during the next five years, with solar and wind accounting for about 75% of this increase.
The growth will propel it to fourth place in Europe and among the world’s top ten renewable markets.
In terms of renewable energy installed capacity, Turkey ranks fifth in Europe and 12th worldwide. When it comes to wind energy installed power, it ranks seventh in Europe and 12th worldwide.
