Türkiye deploys 3.1 GW of solar in H1

Türkiye installed 3.1 GW of solar across the first six months of 2025, according to figures from energy thinktank Ember.

Bahadır Sercan Gümüş, energy analyst at Ember, told pv magazine that the cumulative capacity exceeded 23 GW by the end of June, meaning the country has already exceeded its deployment target for the year. Solar is now the third largest energy source in Türkiye, behind hydropower and gas.

Over 76% of solar additions in H1 2025, equivalent to 2.4 GW, came from unlicensed power plants that generate electricity for self-consumption, particularly in the C&I segment. Gümüş explained that as of July, Türkiye’s transmission system operator announced there is no remaining connection capacity available for unlicensed projects, which could lead to a slowdown in year-on-year installation rates in the short to medium term.

Gümüş added that the biggest barrier to the country’s solar market is currently connection capacity, with applications rejected when substations in a region have no available space. “This makes new grid investments critical, including HVDC lines and new substations,” he said. 

Another way of dealing with the limited connection capacity is the implementation of hybrid solar power plants. Ember’s analysis found that more than 10% of new solar installations during H1 2025 came from hybrid plants.

There are currently no grid-scale storage-integrated power plants operational in Türkiye. However, the country has a pipeline of around 34 GW of storage-integrated solar and wind projects with pre-licensing periods extending until 2030, Gümüş said, with 14.6 GW capacity of solar tied to storage planned for implementation within the next five years.

The 34 GW pipeline far exceeds Türkiye’s 7.2 GW storage target by 2035, but Gümüş said many projects are unlikely to be built. Battery storage licensing is currently suspended, Gümüş explained, with the only way to deploy a battery currently through tenders hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources via the Turkish Renewable Energy Program (YEKA).

Elsewhere in Türkiye’s solar market, rooftop solar is yet to develop as expected due to long bureaucratic procedures, rising distribution and transmission fees. Analysis by Ember has calculated that there is 120 GW of rooftop solar potential across Türkiye.

“Streamlining permitting procedures would accelerate rooftop installations and unlock a significant share of the 120 GW potential,” Gümüş recommended. “These procedures could also be centralized to reduce the number of institutions involved, prevent inconsistent practices across regions and improve market predictability.”

Türkiye’s utility-scale segment is driven by YEKA tenders, the latest of which procured 800 MW earlier this year. Gümüş told pv magazine that since 2017, around half of the solar capacity awarded through YEKA tenders has been commissioned. 

“To make YEKA tenders successful, barriers such as domestic content rules, lengthy permitting, and unsustainably low bid prices must be addressed,” Gümüş said. “New mechanisms like offshore wind and floating solar tenders could unlock large-scale capacity.”

Gümüş also explained that Türkiye’s Ministry of Energy has begun work on a “super-permit” regime that would shorten approval times to under 24 months for licensed projects, which he said could speed up deployment. 

The government’s next large-scale tender, aiming to procure 2 GW of solar and wind, is planned for later this year.

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