Turkey’s Solar Power Capacity Ranges 6,000 MW

According to Berke Aygun, the head of Solar Energy Investors Association, recently solar power capacity of Turkey has reached up to 6,000 megawatts.

Solar power plants generated 9,085 GWh of electricity as of end of the last month, which already exceeded the total of some 7,800 GWh of power produced at those power plants in the whole of 2018, as per the data from the association.

Power generation from solar plants accounted for some 3.31 percent of total electricity production, while the installed capacity of the sector resembled to 6.45 percent of the country’s total 91,375 MW electricity installed capacity as of last month.

Last month, solar power plants generated 580 GWh of electricity. Country’s highest level of electricity production of the power plants was recorded in June, July and August with 1,015, 1,125 and 1,072 GWH.

In 2018, solar power plants provided 2.56 percent of the country’s electricity output. Renewables accounted for 12.73 percent of electricity generation. The shares of geothermal and wind power plants were 2.44 percent and 6.54 percent.

Turkey’s wind power installed capacity was 8.23 percent of total electricity installed capacity as of end of last month, as per the data from GUYAD.

Aygun states, “Investments in solar power equipment - even though they have relatively slowed since 2017- reached $5.5 billion to date.”

The solar power installed capacity will grow by around 700 MW in 2020, he further adds.