Rehabilitation Period in Hydroelectricity

Category: ENERGY AGENDA , HEPP & HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS - Date: October 13, 2025

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar emphasized the need to rehabilitate hydroelectric power plants and said they were working on pumped storage plants, adding , "Turkey definitely needs a pumped storage plant of several thousand megawatts in the coming period."

Minister Bayraktar attended the Hydropower Innovative Projects Day held at the TOBB ETÜ Hydro Turbine Design and Test Center. Speaking at the event, which also featured TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and TOBB ETÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Sarınay, Bayraktar outlined Turkey's energy projections.

Increase in demand

Bayraktar stated that there are three fundamental challenges in energy, the first of which is generating sufficient capacity to meet increasing energy demand. He stated that energy demand will triple by 2055 and noted that electrification is rapidly becoming a reality. Bayraktar also noted that climate change and drought, along with the consideration of artificial intelligence and data centers, will increase energy demand.

External Dependency

Bayraktar emphasized that Türkiye's second challenge is its dependence on foreign energy, stating that the country must use its water resources, solar energy, and wind resources more efficiently. Bayraktar emphasized that the country spent $96.5 billion on oil, natural gas, and coal in 2022, and emphasized the need to reduce this amount.

Reducing Emissions

Recalling that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan set a net zero emission target for 2053, Bayraktar pointed out the need to meet our increasing demand while reducing external dependency and also reducing emissions.

Local and Renewable

Bayraktar emphasized that Türkiye should use its domestic and renewable resources to the maximum extent when finding a solution, noting that the marginal cost of these resources is quite low and that they are also in line with emission targets.

The Renewable Revolution

Bayraktar explained that Turkey has undergone a major revolution in renewable energy over the last 23 years , saying, "We've gone from 12,000 megawatts of installed capacity in hydroelectric power plants to 32,000 megawatts. The second phase of the renewable energy revolution is currently underway. That's the solar and wind revolution. We've gone from almost zero to 37,000 megawatts of installed capacity in wind and solar today. What is the goal our President announced to the world? By 2035, this 37,000 megawatts will reach 120,000 megawatts."

More Production

Bayraktar stated that Turkey has become a country that has explored and found its own oil and natural gas in the Gabar and Sakarya Gas Fields since 2016, adding it to its economy. He said , “We need to produce more. Turkey currently meets approximately 15-16% of its oil and natural gas needs through domestic and international production. We need to do more.”

Nuclear Renaissance

Bayraktar stated that Turkey, along with Akkuyu, Sinop, and Thrace, will have 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power by 2050 with small modular reactors and will meet 14-15 percent of its electricity needs from nuclear power, adding, "We are entering a new era for nuclear power in the world. We are entering a renaissance, a new nuclear renaissance."

New Highways

Bayraktar emphasized the importance of the electricity transmission and distribution grid, the backbone of the energy system, while addressing all of this , saying, "We will reach an installed capacity of 120,000 megawatts from wind and solar. We need to carry this much installed capacity. We need to expand our electric highways and our electric road network. New highways are needed. That's why we've announced a significant program. We will, in a sense, upgrade the transmission grid over the next 10 years, with a $30 billion investment."

Domestic Production

Bayraktar emphasized the importance of localization in infrastructure, saying, "We need domestic industry, domestic production, and domestic equipment. We're not saying we'll do this with imported equipment just to get cheaper electricity."

Rehabilitation Period

Bayraktar noted that Turkey has already demonstrated its hydroelectric potential to a large extent, saying , "Isn't there more potential in hydroelectricity? Of course there is. But now is the time to rehabilitate existing power plants."

Regional Center

Bayraktar, emphasizing the need to transform the test center into a regional hub, said, "Today, we are receiving demand for hydroelectricity from Central Asia and Africa. Therefore, there is significant potential there. Therefore, we need to transform this place into a regional hub as well."

Pumped Storage

Bayraktar noted that they are working on pumped storage power plants that take water from the ground level, pump it up, and then convert it back into electricity during periods of high electricity prices, commenting, “Turkey definitely needs a pumped storage power plant of several thousand megawatts in the coming period.”

Experienced T10F

Following the speeches, Minister Bayraktar inspected the test center. He also received briefings from officials at the R&D Center, where development work is underway on Türkiye's first quantum computer, QuanT, and Türkiye's automobile, Togg. He then took the wheel of Togg's new model, the T10F, and toured the university campus. He was accompanied by TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu.

Source: ETKB

Published by: Alperen ERTAŞ- [email protected]