Turkey’s Power Capacity Hits 122 GW In 2025 As Renewables Reach 62%—SHURA Reports

Turkey’s electricity capacity reached 122 GW in 2025, with renewable energy making up 62% of the total, according to the SHURA Energy Transition Center. The think tank said the country added 6.3 GW of net new capacity during the year, and renewables accounted for 99% of these additions, showing that clean energy continues to lead Turkey’s power sector expansion.

Solar power recorded the strongest growth, rising by 4.9 GW, while wind power increased by 1.7 GW. In contrast, natural gas-based capacity declined by 684 MW. SHURA noted that coal plant projects remain largely dormant, with their future still uncertain. While renewables are still dominating the sector’s development, Turkey is expected to see a major change in its power generation mix this year as the first unit of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant is scheduled to come online. The first reactor is expected to add 1.2 GW, marking the start of Turkey’s first nuclear power generation.

Electricity production also rose last year. SHURA estimated that gross power generation increased by 2% to 360 TWh. However, the share of renewables in electricity generation fell to 44.1% from 46% in the previous year. The report linked the decline mainly to lower hydropower output, which has been affected by drought conditions. At the same time, wind, solar, and geothermal generation continued to improve, reaching 24.6% of total production. SHURA highlighted that solar and wind combined surpassed 20% of Turkey’s electricity generation, underlining the growing role of variable renewable sources.

Turkey also recorded a new peak in daily electricity demand, reaching 1,244 GWh on July 29. SHURA said the record was driven by higher cooling demand as temperatures increased.

Looking ahead, SHURA warned that Turkey must maintain a strong pace of new solar and wind installations to meet its long-term targets. To reach its 2035 goals, the country needs to commission an average of 8 GW of combined solar and wind capacity every year. The government aims to reach 120 GW of total solar and wind capacity by 2035, compared to around 40 GW today.

The think tank cautioned that grid constraints, especially for self-consumption solar units, could slow growth unless capacity allocation issues are resolved. It added that renewable and hybrid power plants with storage will help improve system flexibility. SHURA estimated that decarbonizing the electricity sector by 2053 will require average annual investments of around $15 billion, while also stressing the importance of just transition plans for coal-dependent regions.