Turkey Adds 3.1 GW of Solar Capacity in H1 — Total Surpasses 23 GW

According to Turkey’s energy think tank Ember, by end-June, the country’s cumulative photovoltaic (PV) installed capacity exceeded 23 GW, thereby surpassing its 2025 target ahead of schedule. However, with limitations in grid interconnection capacity looming, the pace of new installations may decelerate in the short to medium term. 

Ember reports that during the first half of 2025, Turkey deployed approximately 3.1 GW of new solar capacity. As of June 30, the cumulative capacity had already crossed the 23 GW threshold, signaling early fulfilment of the annual goal. Solar has now risen to become Turkey’s third-largest energy source, behind hydropower and natural gas. 

Among the new capacity additions in H1 2025, more than 76% (roughly 2.4 GW) derived from unlicensed, self-consumption installations, predominantly in the commercial and industrial sectors. Ember energy analyst Bahadır Sercan Gümüş notes that as of July, the national transmission system operator declared that no available grid connection slots remain for unlicensed projects, which could lead to a slowdown in the rate of deployment. 

Gümüş argues that the primary constraint on Turkey’s solar market now lies in insufficient interconnection capacity: when regional substations have no spare capacity, new project applications are rejected. “This makes fresh grid investments essential, including the construction of HVDC lines and new substations,” he states.

One partial remedy to the grid bottleneck is via hybrid solar installations (i.e. co-locating solar with other generation assets). Ember’s analysis shows that over 10% of the new solar capacity in H1 2025 originated from such hybrid projects.

At present, Turkey has not commissioned any grid-scale solar installations that incorporate energy storage. Nevertheless, the country maintains a sizeable pipeline — approximately 34 GW of storage-coupled solar and wind projects currently in pre-licensing, with validity extending through 2030. Within that, 14.6 GW of solar with storage is planned for deployment over the next five years. 

Gümüş points out that this 34 GW pipeline far exceeds the government’s 2035 target of 7.2 GW of storage, yet many projects may fail to materialize. He further notes that the licensing process for battery storage is currently suspended; the only feasible pathway for battery deployment now is through tenders conducted under Turkey’s Renewable Energy Program (YEKA), overseen by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. 

In the rooftop solar segment, growth has fallen short of expectations. The drag factors include cumbersome administrative procedures and rising transmission and distribution charges. Ember estimates that Turkey has a rooftop PV potential of 120 GW nationwide.

“Streamlining permitting processes would accelerate rooftop PV deployment and unlock a large portion of that potential,” Gümüş suggests. “A more centralized approval system could reduce the number of agencies involved, avoid inconsistent implementation across regions, and improve market predictability.”

On the large ground-mounted front, Turkey’s utility-scale solar market is dominated by YEKA auctions. Earlier this year, the latest YEKA round procured 800 MW of capacity. According to Gümüş, since 2017, roughly half of the solar capacity awarded under YEKA has been built and brought online. 

“To make YEKA tenders successful, obstacles such as domestic content mandates, prolonged permitting cycles, and overly aggressive bid pricing must be addressed,” he states. He adds that new mechanisms—such as auctions for offshore wind and floating solar—might unlock additional large-scale capacity. 

Gümüş further reveals that the Ministry of Energy is formulating a “super-permit” regime, which would shorten the approval timeline for licensed projects to under 24 months, thereby expediting development. 

Finally, the government plans to launch its next major tender later this year, targeting procurement of 2 GW of solar and wind capacity.