Türkiye’s Solar and Battery Push Strengthens Its Position in Europe’s Renewable Energy Race

Türkiye is moving rapidly up the renewable energy rankings, combining large solar projects, a growing wind and solar generation share, and one of Europe’s most significant battery storage pipelines. The shift is drawing attention as the country prepares to host COP31 in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026, placing its domestic energy transition under greater international scrutiny.

According to Euronews, Türkiye is now home to one of the world’s largest solar facilities and has developed a battery storage pipeline larger than any individual EU member state. While coal still plays a dominant role in the country’s electricity system, recent renewable growth suggests Türkiye is becoming a key clean energy market between Europe, the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

A central symbol of this shift is the Kalyon Karapınar Solar Power Plant in central Türkiye. The project includes around 3.5 million solar panels across approximately 20 million square metres, an area Euronews compares to about 2,600 football fields. The site has been producing electricity since 2023 and generates nearly 3 billion kilowatt-hours annually, enough to supply the equivalent of a city of around 2 million people.

Battery Storage Becomes a Strategic Advantage

One of the most significant policy changes behind Türkiye’s new position is its requirement for new wind and solar projects to be paired with equivalent battery capacity. Introduced in 2022, the rule triggered a large wave of project applications and created a major investment signal for storage-backed renewables.

Ember’s analysis, cited by Euronews and Renewable Energy Magazine, found that Türkiye received 221 GW of applications within months of the rule being introduced, with 33 GW already approved. This approved pipeline exceeds the battery storage pipelines of leading EU storage markets such as Germany and Italy, each of which is estimated at around 12 to 13 GW.

For Türkiye, this matters because storage can help address one of the core challenges of solar and wind power: variable generation. Batteries can store electricity when production is high and release it when demand rises or renewable output falls. This can reduce curtailment, improve grid flexibility and make clean power more reliable for industrial users, households and electricity system operators.

The storage strategy also has a geopolitical dimension. Türkiye imports a significant share of its fossil fuel supply, so expanding domestic renewables and storage can strengthen energy security as well as reduce exposure to volatile coal and gas markets. For companies operating in Türkiye, especially energy-intensive manufacturers, a more renewable electricity mix could eventually support lower-carbon production and supply chain decarbonization.

Wind and Solar Cross a Regional Threshold

Türkiye’s renewable progress is not limited to individual megaprojects. Wind and solar together reached 22 percent of the country’s electricity generation in 2025, making Türkiye the only country among 16 economies in the Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia where wind and solar surpassed a 20% share.

That performance gives Türkiye a regional leadership position, although it still trails several European countries in total renewable generation. Euronews notes that Türkiye ranks 15th in Europe for wind generation and 16th for total renewables generation, meaning the country’s progress is significant but not yet enough to place it among Europe’s leading clean power systems overall.

The next stage will depend on whether Türkiye can move from project approvals to physical deployment. Battery projects must be financed, connected to the grid and integrated into market rules that reward flexibility. Solar and wind projects will also require continued grid expansion, permitting capacity and stable investment conditions.

Coal Remains the Main Obstacle

Despite the rapid growth of renewables, coal remains Türkiye’s largest source of electricity. Euronews reports that coal accounts for 34 percent of Türkiye’s power generation, with around two-thirds of that coal-based production relying on imported fuel.

This creates a clear tension in the country’s energy transition. On one hand, solar, wind and storage are expanding quickly. On the other, coal still anchors a large part of the electricity system, and policy support for domestic coal could slow emissions reductions. Ember has warned that a 2025 purchase guarantee for domestic coal risks increasing coal generation in 2026, even though no new coal plants have been commissioned in the previous three years.

For net-zero stakeholders, this is the central issue. Türkiye’s renewable expansion can reduce emissions only if clean power increasingly displaces coal and gas rather than simply meeting new demand growth. That will require grid modernisation, market reform, storage deployment and clearer signals on the long-term role of coal.

Investment Interest is Growing

International capital is already responding to Türkiye’s renewable ambitions. In February 2026, Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia planned to invest $2 billion in two solar farms in Türkiye, with a combined capacity of 2,000 MW. The projects are planned for Sivas and Karaman, with Saudi companies expected to develop a broader 5,000 MW package of solar and wind projects.

Türkiye’s energy minister said the two solar plants would meet the electricity needs of about 2.1 million households and described the investments as major examples of foreign direct investment in the country’s energy sector.

The investment context is important because Türkiye has set an ambitious target to reach 120 GW of combined wind and solar capacity by 2035. Government statements and energy market analysis indicate that solar and wind capacity had already exceeded or approached 40 GW by early 2026, meaning the country has achieved roughly one-third of its 2035 target but still needs a major acceleration this decade.

Practical Implications for the Net-Zero Transition

Türkiye’s case offers several lessons for policymakers and industry. First, pairing renewables with storage can create a strong investment pipeline, especially when grid access or permitting rules are designed to favour flexible clean energy projects. Second, large-scale solar can be deployed quickly when land, financing and industrial policy align. Third, renewable leadership is not only about installed capacity but also about whether clean generation reduces fossil fuel dependence.

For manufacturers, utilities and investors, Türkiye may become an increasingly important market for solar components, battery systems, grid equipment, power purchase agreements and industrial electrification. For climate policy observers, COP31 will provide a test of whether the country can translate renewable momentum into a broader decarbonization pathway.

Türkiye’s progress is substantial, but it remains unfinished. The country has built one of the region’s strongest renewable growth stories, yet its coal reliance continues to limit the climate impact of that progress. The coming years will show whether Türkiye can turn its solar and storage pipeline into a cleaner, more resilient power system.

Source: www.euronews.com