Technical studies to start in 2024 for Türkiye's 1st offshore wind power plant

By Gulsen Cagatay

Technical studies are due to start next year for Türkiye’s first Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA) project for offshore wind, which was unveiled in August, the head of the Turkish Offshore Wind Energy Association said on Monday.

In an interview with Anadolu, Murat Durak, the chairman of the Turkish Offshore Wind Energy Association, said that the country, which imports more than two-thirds of its energy needs, should increase supply security and domestic resource diversity.

The areas in which Türkiye will carry out offshore wind energy projects have been determined.

The biggest area is located 1,111 square kilometers off the coast of Bandırma in the Marmara Sea. A sizable area of 410 square kilometers has been designated off the coast of Karabiga in the Marmara Sea. In addition, an area of 299 square kilometers has been assigned off the Bozcaada island in the Aegean Sea, and an area of 75.6 square kilometers has been determined off Gelibolu, also known as Gallipoli, in the Marmara Sea.

Durak said 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of potential fixed-based installations have already been identified in the Black Sea, along with 13.9 GW of floating installation potential in this region.

The Marmara Sea also holds offshore wind energy potential of 19.2 GW for floating installations and 2.8 gigawatts for fixed-based installations, he said.

Out of a total wind capacity target of 29.6 GW both for onshore and offshore installations, Durak said the target for the country’s share of offshore wind installations is 5 GW by 2035.

He noted that the global offshore wind sector has made great strides in the past few years and advised that a target has been set to increase the share of offshore wind power to 20% from 2025 onwards, up from 10% in 2019.