Renewable Energy Resource Areas (YEKA) Tender to Be Held

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez stated that Turkey will increase its renewable energy capacity annually through Renewable Energy Resource Areas (YEKA) competitions, saying, "Starting next week on Monday, we will also conduct our first mini YEKA competitions in solar energy. Previously, we conducted these competitions in single-block areas of around 1,000 megawatts. Now we will conduct 74 competitions in sizes of 10, 15 and 20 megawatts." Dönmez, speaking at an online meeting titled "The Present and Future of Renewable Energy in the World and Turkey" organized by Sabancı University Istanbul International Energy and Climate Center (IICEC), said that the global economy is facing serious constraints in the shadow of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Dönmez continued his remarks as follows: "That is, fossil fuels, which have held the top position for approximately 50 years, will cede the throne to renewable energy. With growing concerns about climate change, investments in renewable energy are expected to double within the next 5 years. We are right in the middle of such rapid change. We can say that Turkey's renewable energy story is experiencing its youth today.

It is becoming a sector that is increasingly dynamic, more active, and with more stakeholders participating each day. Today, Turkey's total installed capacity has exceeded 97,000 megawatts. The private sector's share in the threefold increase in installed capacity over the last 20 years is significant. Today, the public sector's share in electricity generation averages around 15-20 percent annually." he said.

Dönmez, noting that this is confirmed in the European Union 2020 Progress Report, said, "Today, 52.3 percent of our installed capacity comes from renewable energy sources. The share of renewable sources in our electricity generation, which was 25.4 percent in 2011, became 43.9 percent in 2019 and 42.4 percent in 2020. In the first quarter of this year, renewable sources accounted for 98 percent of the installed capacity we brought online. Last year, we rose to 12th place globally and 5th place in Europe in renewable installed capacity. In the 2002-2020 period, we became the 9th country globally and the 4th country in Europe in the largest increase in renewable energy installed capacity." he said. Source: AA