Türkiye successfully awarded 650 MW of solar capacity through its YEKA (Yenilenebilir Enerji Kaynak Alanı) program, attracting $400 million in investment, after cancelling two projects from its initial plan to allocate 850 MW across 10 solar projects. The program designates pre-licensed zones for large-scale renewable energy investments by the private sector across provinces such as Bolu, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Manisa, and Van.
The auction for eight projects received 77 bids from 38 companies and is expected to supply electricity to 500,000 households while avoiding 800,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. It also includes a 35 MW floating solar plant at the reservoir of Demirköprü Dam in Manisa — Türkiye’s first floating solar power plant.
The payment was strategically shifted to euro cents and the floor (base) price for bids was set at €0.0325/kWh ($0.038) and the ceiling at €0.055/kWh ($0.064). Electricity generated will be initially sold on the free market for 60 months, followed by a 20-year (PPA).
Türkiye currently has ~38,000 MW combined solar + wind capacity, the government aims to raise that to ~120,000 MW by 2035. Türkiye aims to reduce dependency on imported natural gas — helping its BOP and reducing vulnerability to volatile fossil-fuel markets. The floating solar plant marks a step toward more flexible deployment — using reservoirs or water bodies rather than always depending on large land areas and whether the project proceeds smoothly will be closely watched, as floating PVs can pose technical and environmental challenges (but also opportunities).
Final winners for each of the 8 projects are expected to be announced by end-2025. The government plans further auctions for wind (1,150 MW) and possibly more solar, forming part of its 2,000 MW per-year renewable expansion target. How the new capacity and the fixed-price PPAs will affect electricity market and tariffs and impact long-term grid stability in Türkiye is being closely watched.
