Turkey

The Turkish electricity system is counted among the fastest growing systems in the world, with consumption doubling from 133 TWh in 2002 to more than 260 TWh in 2015, a figure higher than Spain’s. Beyond strong and continuous growth, the sector has seen a considerable transformation. In a campaign to liberalise the power market, incentivise investment and thereby increase the efficiency of the power system, the state has privatised large shares of the existing thermal power fleets and new gas, coal-fired power plants and wind turbines have been built by private investors. In parallel, a wholesale market was introduced, the distribution system was also privatised and Turkey was connected synchronously to the interconnected European power system ENTSO-E.

As demand will continue to rise, considerable additional generation is required, which is planned to be covered by a mix of coal, nuclear, hydro and renewables. Across the country, excellent solar and wind conditions and vast available areas of land provide attractive conditions for power from wind and PV. Agora Energiewende seeks to support energy choices in Turkey by demonstrating that renewables are a low cost option for electricity generation, and by providing expertise on how they can be securely integrated in the power system. Activities include technical and economic assessments and discussions on the different options for a sustainable future development of the system.