Türkiye and Saudi Arabia to expand renewable energy deal to 5 GW

Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are scheduled to sign a 3-gigawatt renewable energy agreement during the COP31 climate conference in Antalya. This new deal will expand their existing cooperation framework to a total capacity of 5 gigawatts, supported by up to $5 billion in investment.

The first phase of the agreement, signed in February, involves 2 gigawatts of solar power projects in central Türkiye, specifically the Sivas and Taseli projects. These are being developed by Saudi Arabia’s state-owned ACWA Power in collaboration with Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Ministry. Construction for these initial projects is expected to begin following environmental and permit approvals, with electricity generation targeted for early 2028.

The upcoming 3-gigawatt phase is expected to include a combination of solar and wind projects, as well as energy storage solutions. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar noted that the country has significantly expanded its energy capacity over the last 24 years, increasing installed power from 32,000 megawatts to 126,000 megawatts.