China and Turkey have signed a preliminary agreement providing for investments of approximately $15 billion in renewable energy in Turkey. The plan includes the construction of solar and wind power plants with a combined capacity of 7,000 megawatts, new energy storage systems and electricity transmission infrastructure with a capacity of 4,000 megawatts.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by the national energy administrations of the two countries on the sidelines of the COP31 climate conference in Antalya. The agreement was announced by Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar.
Focus on technology and local production
„Through this agreement, which provides for a large-scale investment of approximately $15 billion in our country, we aim to build solar and wind power plants with a combined capacity of 7,000 megawatts, as well as new energy storage systems and 4,000 megawatts of electricity transmission infrastructure“, Bayraktar said.
According to him, the cooperation will include technology transfer. The Turkish minister noted that this could contribute to the production of wind turbine equipment in the country and the development of local industry.
„This cooperation will not only increase our renewable energy capacity, but will also facilitate technology transfer, making a significant contribution to the local production of wind turbine equipment and the development of our industry“, Alparslan Bayraktar said.Turkey’s goals for 2040
The agreement was presented as part of the „National Energy 2040“ vision. Turkey plans to increase the share of renewable sources in its total installed electricity generation capacity to 77%, up from around 63% currently.
Ankara has also set a target for the combined capacity of wind and solar power to reach 175,000 megawatts by 2040. The planned Chinese investments are aimed not only at electricity generation, but also at its storage and the expansion of the grid needed to connect the new capacity.
Bayraktar said he expects the agreement to strengthen the security of energy supplies and accelerate Turkey’s green transition. The published information did not identify specific Chinese companies, the locations of the future plants or a timetable for the start of construction.