The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey said the capacity quota at the forthcoming solar and wind power auctions totals 2.4 GW. A whopping 1.5 GW is for seven wind power projects. The bids for the 2026 round will be submitted on October 13. Minister Alparslan Bayraktar claimed that the country would reach its 2035 target earlier – 120 GW in total from the two technologies.
Turkey is organizing another round of auctions for onshore projects with predetermined locations and sizes. In May, wind and solar power had 42 GW on the grid together, according to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. It was a third of the country’s total electricity capacity – 125.6 GW. Hydropower reached 32.3 GW, compared to 26.9 GW in photovoltaics and 15.1 GW of wind power.
The bids for the 2026 round will be submitted on October 13, between 10:00 and noon, for a combined 2.4 GW in grid connection terms. Auctions for state support are held under the Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) mechanism. It is better known by its Turkish acronym YEKA.
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said wind and PV tenders are planned for at least 2 GW every year. He vowed that Turkey would achieve earlier its 2035 target of 120 GW combined on the grid.
Furthermore, Bayraktar added that solar would become the largest electricity source in the country by the end of this year.
Investors ready to pay upfront for right to build, operate
Participants bid until a floor price per megawatt-hour is reached. In case of a tie, they compete by committing a so-called contribution fee, starting at EUR 10,000 per MW. All winners from the previous round are paying upfront to the government, and the proceeds are hefty.
Just like last time, the ceiling or starting price is EUR 55 per MWh for both technologies. The floor prices are EUR 32.5 per MWh for solar power and EUR 35 per MWh for wind, as well. Successful participants can sell electricity on the free market for five years in the case of solar power plants, while the period lasts six years for wind. But both kinds of power plants have one-way contracts for difference (CfDs): at least EUR 47.5 per MWh guaranteed.
After that, they enter a 20-year scheme with the auction strike price, a power purchase agreement (PPA).
The winners of photovoltaic tenders will be obligated to submit letters of guarantee worth EUR 75,000 per MW, compared to EUR 100,000 per MW for wind power.d
Fourteen solar power projects in nine provinces up for bids
The upcoming solar energy auctions, REZ SPP 2026 (YEKA GES 2026), are for 900 MW altogether. There are 14 areas in nine provinces designated for bidding:
- Ankara 1 (Beypazarı) – 140 MW
- Ankara 2 (Polatlı) – 230 MW
- Batman (Gercüş) – 25 MW
- Denizli (Çivril) – 30 MW
- Konya (Cihanbeyli) – 110 MW
- Malatya 1 (Arapgir) – 155 MW
- Malatya 2 (Darende) – 40 MW
- Mardin 1 (Artuklu) – 30 MW
- Mardin 2 (Derik) – 120 MW
- Diyarbakır (Çınar) – 200 MW
- Elazığ (Karakoçan) – 40 MW
- Kahramanmaraş 1 (Elbistan) – 45 MW
- Kahramanmaraş 2 (Pazarcık) – 85 MW
- Kahramanmaraş 3 (Pazarcık) – 50 MW
The sites are all in the interior, except the ones in Mardin. The province is on the border with Syria and near the border with Iraq.
Conditions for state aid in the renewable energy segment are strict, aiming to spur domestic manufacturing facilities. At least 75% of the total value of the solar panels used in the power plant must originate from Turkey. It translates to all processing after the raw wafer phase, according to the public call.
The thresholds for direct current cables, support structures, trackers and inverters are 51%.
Wind power capacity quota is 1.5 GW
Investors can apply for seven wind power tenders in four provinces at the REZ WPP 2026 (YEKA RES 2026). Total quota is a staggering 1.5 GW.
Six locations are roughly between Istanbul and Izmir, while Sivas – the biggest project, for 320 MW – is in central Turkey. A part is in Kayseri province. The zone is on the territories of districts Gürün, Kangal and Pınarbaşı.
The Balıkesir group consists of four lots. The first, for 140 MW, is in Kepsut and Dursunbey. Number two, in Dursunbey and Bigadiç, is envisaged for 235 MW. Some of the land for Balıkesir 3 is in Kütahya province. The 170 MW project spans Dursunbey, Sındırgı and Simav. Districts Havran and Ivrindi host the fourth lot, for 140 MW.
Investors will bid for 235 MW in Manisa province, in Demirci and Simav.
The Kütahya lot (260 MW) actually consists of two locations, and both are partly in Uşak province. The first, in Gediz and Banaz, is for 140 MW, and the other one is in the districts of Gediz and Merkez.
Interestingly, the documentation shows that all turbines are 7 MW. The hub height is 119 meters in all cases except the second section of Kütahya 2, with 112 meters.
The domestic content calculation is more complicated than for solar power. Potential participants need to collect 55 out of 125 possible points. Turbine towers, direct drive generators and blades weigh the most. Blades have a 65% threshold for winning the points, while the level for almost all other items is 51%.
