As of the year 2023 in Turkey, more than half of the electricity is generated from fossil fuels which stands at 56% approximately, majorly being contributed by coal (35%) and gas (21%). The percentage of low-carbon electricity generation is slightly less, at almost 42% of the total electricity generated. This clean energy mix includes a significant contribution from hydropower (20%), wind (almost 11%), solar energy (6%), geothermal energy (approximately 3%), and biofuels (close to 3%). The rest of the electric power (slightly above 1%) is contributed through net imports.
Based on the power generation portfolios of other countries, Turkey has solid prospects for scaling up its low-carbon electricity generation, particularly by expanding its wind energy infrastructure. Countries such as Denmark and Uruguay have demonstrated that wind energy can constitute a major share in producing clean electricity, accounting for 59% and 40% respectively in their national electricity mixes. Furthermore, Turkey can also increase its low-carbon electricity generation by considering the introduction of nuclear energy which is reliably contributing in countries like France, Slovakia, and Ukraine where nuclear energy generates over half of the country's total electricity.
Historically, Turkey's low-carbon electricity generation has majorly relied on hydropower. The inception of hydropower can be traced back to 1987, which experienced a positive trend in the subsequent year, followed by a notable fall in 1989. This cyclical pattern in hydropower generation continued through the 90s and the dawn of the 21st century, depicting considerable variations in the annual generation figures. By 2010, the country saw a significant surge in hydropower with approximately 16TWh more generation than the previous year. However, the subsequent decade has been a mixed bag of increases and decreases, including a substantial fall of nearly 23TWh in 2021. Alongside, the country added wind to its low-carbon energy mix in 2021, kicking off with a contribution of approximately 7TWh.