JEDDAH: Turkiye and the UAE are advancing their clean energy collaboration, with a $1 billion solar power project in Nigde Bor marking a new milestone in their growing partnership, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said.
The initiative follows a series of strategic agreements between the two nations, including a $27 billion framework signed in 2023 and a memorandum of understanding between Abu Dhabi’s Masdar and Turkiye’s Ministry of Energy.
Both deals reflect the countries’ shared vision for sustainable energy development, technology transfer, and long-term climate goals.
In a post on X, Bayraktar said: “We hosted Mr. Mohamed Jameel Al-Ramahi, CEO of UAE-based energy company Masdar, and his accompanying delegation at our ministry.”
He added that discussions centered on “comprehensive cooperation opportunities, focusing on joint investments in solar energy, onshore and offshore wind projects, pumped-storage hydroelectricity, and technology transfer.”
Bayraktar confirmed that the partners have reached “the final stage of the approximately $1 billion, 1,100 MW solar power plant (GES) investment project to be built in Nigde Bor.”
He said that potential investments in “an offshore wind power plant, HVDC transmission line, and pumped-storage hydroelectric plant were also considered.”
The minister emphasized that Turkiye seeks to deepen its strategic energy partnership with the UAE through intergovernmental collaboration on renewable projects. “Through collaborations that will strengthen our energy vision, we seek to enhance our infrastructure, achieve our 2053 net-zero target, and establish a model transformation in the region,” Bayraktar said.
According to Turkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency, both sides discussed investment opportunities across solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy, as well as technology transfer initiatives.
“Among the topics considered were potential investments in an offshore wind power plant, a high-voltage direct current transmission line, and a hydroelectric power plant,” the agency reported.
Turkiye’s latest moves come as part of its broader Energy Transition Strategy, which sets out ambitious targets to ensure energy security, cut dependence on imports, and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2053.
The roadmap aims to expand the nation’s wind and solar capacity from 30 gigawatts to 120 GW by 2035 — a fourfold increase requiring investments of about $108 billion.
The country is accelerating the adoption of solar technologies, including both thermal and photovoltaic systems, across industrial, residential, and agricultural applications. With advances in photovoltaic modules and large-scale solar installations, Turkiye is positioning solar power as a cost-effective and scalable pillar of its clean energy transformation.
