Solar power, as an auxiliary source of hybrid power plants, will play an important role in realizing Türkiye’s energy targets, according to the latest analysis by London-based energy think tank Ember on Thursday.
As of 2024, the total solar capacity of 510 megawatts (MW) in hybrid power plants brought Türkiye’s total solar capacity to 12.2 gigawatts (GW), surpassing wind power capacity, according to Ember's report.
As of 2023, all 240 hybrid power plants in Türkiye, operational or planned, integrated solar energy as an auxiliary source, the analysis noted.
The survey also stated that wind power is the primary source of hybrid power plants in Türkiye, with the 14 wind power plants accounting for 63% of all hybrid power plant capacity in the country.
After wind power, hydropower ranks second with 80 MW of auxiliary source solar power plants, all located at the Asagi Kalekoy hydroelectric power plant, Türkiye’s only hydroelectric-solar hybrid plant. The remaining 110 MW of hybrid solar capacity is located at plants with other main energy sources.
According to the report, although Türkiye has 80 GW of floating solar power plant (SPP) potential, no floating SPP has been commissioned yet.
The biggest advantages of floating SPPs are that they can benefit from the existing grid infrastructure and be installed on reservoirs without needing land for hydropower dam plants.
“However, since the panels installed on the water surface reduce evaporation, the stored water can be used more efficiently for hydroelectricity generation. The cooling effect of the water increases the production efficiency of the panels,” it added.
The report also predicts that an energy strategy that encompasses hybrid plants would facilitate Türkiye in achieving the target of 53 GW of solar capacity by 2035.
Commenting on the report, Ufuk Alparslan, the regional leader at Ember, said: “Hybrid power plants have reached a significant share in solar capacity, so they should now be included in official statistics.”
As many state-owned hydroelectric power plants with dams are located in Turkish provinces with high solar potential, Alparslan said: “Even if panels are installed on only 3% of the Ataturk Dam, a 2 GW floating SPP potential emerges.”
He recommended that Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA)-like tenders could be held for large-scale floating solar power plants, especially in state-owned hydroelectric power plants, the outcome of which could see the installation of the world's largest floating SPP.
By Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr