According to data from Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority, the installed solar capacity in Turkey has reached 12.2GW, with 510MW of solar capacity being added through hybrid projects nationwide. Ember reported that solar capacity from hybrid projects makes up 4.2% of the total installed solar capacity.

In terms of primary resource type in hybrid plants, wind power installations are dominant in the Turkish market. Among 14 plants with solar as their secondary power source, 63% have wind as their primary power source. Following wind, hydro is the second most common primary power source, with 80MW of secondary installed solar capacity at the Aşağı Kaleköy Hydroelectric Power Plant, the sole hydro-solar hybrid plant in Turkey.

Uşak (82MW), Bingöl (80MW), and Sivas (50MW) are the provinces with the highest hybrid solar capacity, each hosting one hybrid power plant. Together, these plants represent 42% of the total capacity of installed hybrid solar plants. Additionally, Karaman (40MW) and Konya (36MW), known for their wind generation and high solar potential, contribute another 15% of the capacity.

The annual electricity generation of hybrid power plants has reached 798GWh, accounting for 4.2% of Turkey’s total solar energy production in 2023.

Furthermore, Turkey has 1.9GW of approved hybrid solar capacity yet to be installed, equivalent to 16% of the current installed solar capacity in the country. Of this capacity, 62% is designated for wind power plants and 13% for hydroelectric power plants.

Sixty percent of the hybrid solar capacity in the country's pipeline is concentrated in ten provinces. Çanakkale (178MW), Manisa (138MW), and Balıkesir (122MW) are leading in terms of project stock and wind power generation. Konya has the largest project stock with a total capacity pipeline of 212MW.

The Turkish government announced last year that the country aims to install 5GW of solar and wind capacity annually until 2035. Research firm Rystad Energy, speaking to PV Tech Premium, mentioned that while the goal is ambitious in the short term by 2027, it is achievable in the medium (post-2027) and long run (post-2032).

However, challenges remain for the Turkish solar market to achieve this goal, including ensuring that the grid can manage the increase in renewable energy and securing adequate financing for large-scale solar system development.

Source: PV Tech