TURKEY ELECTRICITY REVIEW 2022

In 2021, Turkey's non-hydro renewable generation overtook hydropower for the first time, with wind and solar reaching a record 44.6 TWh. While coal generation declined for three consecutive years between 2018 and 2021 due to high import costs, gas generation increased to compensate for drought-induced hydropower losses, pushing the fossil fuel share to 65% in 2021. Despite the growth in renewables, the increase in production (+58 TWh since 2011) failed to keep pace with the surge in power demand (+95 TWh), resulting in a carbon intensity of power that has not significantly improved in at least 30 years.

• Non-hydro renewable generation, comprising wind, solar, geothermal, and bioenergy, has doubled since 2017 and surpassed hydropower for the first time in 2021. Wind and solar specifically reached a record 44.6 TWh in 2021, representing a 25% annual increase and a 13.6% share of total power generation.
• Coal generation in Turkey decreased for three consecutive years from 2018 to 2021, falling by 8% in that period. The 2021 decline was primarily driven by the high cost of importing hard coal, which exceeded 70 $/MWh, making wind and solar more cost-effective.
• Drought-induced declines in hydropower were compensated for by increased gas generation in 2021. The share of hydropower dropped from 26% to 17%, while gas increased from 23% to 33%, resulting in fossil fuels accounting for 65% of total generation in 2021.
• The growth of renewable energy has not been sufficient to meet Turkey's rising power demand. Between 2011 and 2021, renewable production increased by 58 TWh, but power demand grew by 95 TWh, with the gap largely filled by imported coal (+32 TWh).
• Turkey's carbon intensity of power has not shown significant improvement in at least 30 years. Between 2004 and 2021, Turkey's carbon intensity increased by 3%, while several European countries achieved significant reductions, including Denmark (-60%), Greece (-50%), and the UK (-50%).

APA

Alparslan, U. (2022). TURKEY ELECTRICITY REVIEW 2022. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/09/Turkey-Electricity-Review-2022.pdf

Chicago

Alparslan, Ufuk. TURKEY ELECTRICITY REVIEW 2022. Ember, 2022. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/09/Turkey-Electricity-Review-2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Alparslan |first1=Ufuk |title=TURKEY ELECTRICITY REVIEW 2022 |publisher=Ember |date=20 January 2022 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/09/Turkey-Electricity-Review-2022.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{alparslan2022turkey, author = {Alparslan, Ufuk}, title = {{TURKEY ELECTRICITY REVIEW 2022}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/09/Turkey-Electricity-Review-2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }