Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır summarized the developments in the sector by stating that Turkey has risen to the leading position in Europe and fourth place in the world in solar panel production. The Solar Cell and Solar Panel Integrated Production Facility, which was opened in İzmir Aliağa, reflects Turkey's determination and investments in the field of renewable energy.
Leadership in Europe: Turkey's Renewable Energy Adventure
Minister Kacır emphasized that Turkey has achieved European leadership in solar panel production. Our country has accelerated localization in energy technologies thanks to its mechanisms to support renewable energy resources. The Renewable Energy Resources Support Mechanism (YEKDEM) and the Renewable Energy Resource Area (YEKA) model have made significant contributions to the sector in economic and technological terms.
A Sector Growing with Incentives and Support
The Ministry of Industry and Technology is expanding the solar energy sector with incentive and support policies. Since 2012, 71 solar panel investments with a total investment amount of 135 billion lira have been supported with incentive certificates. During this process, 5.284 Solar Power Plant (SPP) investments were completed and 7.255 people were employed. Approximately 5,8 billion lira of support was provided to solar energy projects through TÜBİTAK.
R&D and Innovation: The Foundation of Technological Development
Turkey’s success in the solar energy sector is directly related to the importance it places on R&D activities. National research centers such as the METU Solar Energy Research and Application Center carry out projects in a wide range of areas from photovoltaic technologies to module designs. These studies enable the sector to reach more advanced production levels and increase technology development capabilities.
Global Opportunities and Turkey's Role
Solar power plant investments are expected to increase worldwide, especially in Europe and the US. It is anticipated that 2030 GW of new capacity will be added in these regions by 650. Turkey aims to become a more effective player in these markets by strengthening its existing production infrastructure with value-added investments. Investments covering all stages of the production process are of strategic importance in terms of energy supply security and sectoral competitiveness.
Pioneering Investments in Izmir
The new facility, which was implemented by Smart Solar Technologies in İzmir Aliağa, is a significant turning point in the sector. This facility draws attention with its annual 800 MW solar cell production capacity. In addition, it was announced that new investments with an annual capacity of 2 GW, covering all production processes from ingot to panel, are planned. These investments will contribute to both the energy sector and Turkey's export capacity.
Investment in Local Development and Green Technologies
Turkey's local development policies are supported by major investments in cities like Izmir. Izmir Development Agency provided 665 billion liras of support to 5,2 projects. R&D and design centers brought to Izmir make major contributions to the city in terms of technological development. Izmir's potential in tourism, clean energy and environmental technologies are among the priority areas of regional development strategies.
New Technologies in Strategic Scope
Smart Solar Technologies’ wafer and ingot investments make significant contributions not only to the solar energy sector but also to strategic areas such as chip production. Such investments will enable Turkey to gain a strong position in global technology wars.
Contribution to Employment and Economy
In the last 22 years, employment for 6.754 thousand people was created with 190 investment incentive certificates issued in Izmir. New job opportunities for 96 thousand people were created in organized industrial zones. In addition, 8,5 billion liras of support was provided to SMEs in the city with KOSGEB support.
Future Vision
Turkey is progressing towards becoming not only a regional but also a global player with its investments in the renewable energy sector. While the incentive and R&D-focused policies of the Ministry of Industry and Technology support this growth, cities like Izmir stand out with their local development initiatives. Turkey’s rise to the leading position in Europe and fourth place in the world is a result of the determined steps taken in the solar energy sector. These investments not only ensure energy supply security, but also have the potential to make Turkey one of the clean energy centers of the future.
