Turkey's electricity system crossed a historical threshold in the first half of 2026: In April, electricity produced from wind and solar energy exceeded the share of coal power plants in total production for the first time. In the same period, the total installed power reached 125,410 megawatts, while the share of renewable resources was 62.5%. The 8,200 megawatt mass opening ceremony held on June 3 showed that this structural transformation is not just statistics but a concrete investment decision. The question for industry, municipalities and solar power investors is now “does renewable sound?” not — “how do we adapt to data, network and cost management at this speed?”
125,410 MW
Total installed power
end of April 2026
62.5%
Renewable share
78,377MW
first time
G+W production > coal
April 2026
8,200MW
mass opening
June 3, 2026
April 2026: Renewables surpass coal in production
Energy Market Management Inc. According to (EPİAŞ) and sector analysis, the share of renewable sources in total electricity production reached 71% in April 2026 — the highest level in recent years. While wind and solar together accounted for approximately 22.8% of total production, coal remained at 21%. Shares of natural gas and imported coal also declined; The lowest monthly rate in imported coal was seen in the last nine years. This picture depends not only on seasonal hydro abundance; It is also based on the fact that most of the installed capacity increase in the last five years has come from wind and solar.
| Source | Installed power (MW) | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| hydroelectric | 32,338 | 25.8 |
| sun | 26,769 | 21.3 |
| natural gas | 25,013 | 20.0 |
| wind | 15,075 | 12.0 |
| local coal | 11,565 | 9.2 |
| imported coal | 10,456 | 8.3 |
| Other (biomass, geothermal, etc.) | 4,194 | 3,4 |
| Total | 125,410 | 100 |
Towards the top in solar installed power
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar stated that solar installed power has increased from zero to 26,769 megawatts in the last 13 years; It announced that it will surpass hydroelectricity and rise to the first place in total installed capacity by the end of 2026. The total of solar and wind constitutes one third of the installed capacity with 41,844 megawatts. The share of domestic resources is at 71.7%. The 2035 targets we describe in our Net Zero Roadmap: SBTi and Science-Based Targets guide are directly related to these data: reducing electricity carbon intensity also provides an advantage in Scope 2 reporting.
June 3, 2026: 8,200 MW mass opening
One of the largest mass commissioning ceremonies in Turkey's energy history took place on June 3, 2026. A total of 8,200 megawatts of facilities were opened in the fields of solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal; The investment volume was announced as approximately 6 billion US dollars. This scale increases the demand for monitoring, clearing and supply management in all segments, from unlicensed rooftop solar to utility-scale RES. Hourly Offset Hourly offset after May 1, which we explained in our 2026 guide, has made operational discipline even more critical for newly commissioned facilities.
Fossil decline: Natural gas and coal
Monthly data comments by the World Energy Council Turkish National Committee show that there is a decrease in electricity production from coal and natural gas and an increase in hydro and wind in the 12-month moving total. The sun effect will become more evident after April. While fossil fuel prices continue to fluctuate globally, the renewable record signals a positive signal for Turkey's imported energy bill and emissions profile — but grid infrastructure and storage capacity stand out as critical factors that will determine the pace of this transformation.
Implications for businesses and investors
- Solar/RES investor: Hourly settlement + PTF dynamics redefine the ROI calculation; Production monitoring is no longer optional.
- Industrial consumer: Falling renewable marginal cost, green supply and YEK-G reinforce the Scope 2 strategies in our Green Electricity guide.
- Municipal/public: Installed capacity record complies with SECAP targets; the need for multi-site monitoring is increasing.
- Exporter: Turkey's electricity mix is improving on CBAM and carbon reporting — but facility-based evidence remains mandatory.
- Energy manager: OSOS + production data combination, basis for KPI tracking in ISO 50001 and EIVER obligations.
2035 Net Zero and grid investments
In official statements, increasing the wind and solar installed capacity to more than 120,000 megawatts in line with the 2035 Net Zero Emission target; A ten-year $30 billion plan for transmission line investments is highlighted. Storage licenses and integrated BESS regulations are an integral part of this picture. As renewable growth accelerates, the “production is there, consumption is incompatible” scenario — especially low PTF in the afternoon, high retail price spread in the evening — becomes an operational risk.
Conclusion
2026 is not the year "the transformation has begun" in Türkiye's energy system, but the year "the transformation has become measurable". The fact that solar + wind surpasses coal, 125 GW installed power and 8,200 MW mass opening concretizes this picture. The next step is to support investment decisions with hourly data, storage strategy and supply optimization. You can receive a production-consumption balance analysis specific to your portfolio by requesting a demo.