Saudi Arabia Backs Turkey's Rapid Renewable Energy Expansion Plans

Turkey and Saudi Arabia have formed an ambitious partnership to rapidly expand Turkey's renewable energy capacity, which is expected to reach 5 GW. The agreement comes as both countries aim to deploy vast amounts of clean power, with Saudi Arabia investing heavily in Turkey's solar sector. In August, Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced that Turkey has 'almost accomplished a century's worth of work' under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's leadership.

Turkey has made significant progress in renewable energy, quadrupling its installed electricity capacity from 32,000 megawatts to 126,000 megawatts. The country now has Europe's third-largest installed electricity capacity and consumption, after France and Germany. Oil production has tripled, while natural gas output has increased ninefold, with mineral exports rising tenfold.

The government aims for Turkey to become self-sufficient in energy by achieving its ambitious targets for the next decade. Domestic natural gas production in the Black Sea is set to double in 2026 and quadruple by 2028, providing an opportunity for Turkey to establish itself as a major energy hub between the Middle East and Europe.