Advanced Systems: Innovations in solar inverters

Mar 3, 2025

Advanced Systems: Innovations in solar inverters

March 3, 2025 | Tech Talk REGLOBAL

The efficiency and reliability of solar power systems heavily depend on the quality of its components. Solar inverters are one of the key components and perform an important function in PV systems by converting direct current (DC) electricity generated by solar panels into alternating current (AC) suitable for grid integration or direct power supply. The exponential growth of the solar industry over the past decade has driven significant advancements in inverter technology, leading to improved efficiency, reliability, cost-effectiveness and integration capabilities. Solar inverter manufacturers are constantly working to improve the efficiency of their products. As solar panel efficiency continues to increase, the demand for inverters that can keep pace has driven advancements in inverter technology. This article provides an overview of the key technology trends shaping the solar inverter market…

Grid-connected solar inverters

These inverters feed power from solar PV systems into the grid by matching the inverter supply voltage with grid voltage, ensuring synchronised current and voltage phases. According to CLASP, these systems incorporate anti-islanding protection, a mandatory safety feature that prevents electrical hazards by shutting down power supply during grid interruptions. Additionally, they can transmit excess electricity to the utility grid through bi-directional meters. Grid-connected solar inverters are further classified based on rated capacity (kW) into three types. Traditionally, central inverters have been used in the solar space, which are large outdoor units capable of handling high power conversion and require significant physical space. In the grid-connected space, two new inverter technologies are now being used by the industry – micro and string inverters.

Micro inverters convert energy at the individual solar panel level. They maximize energy production from each panel and provide maximum redundancy by mitigating shading and soiling issues. If one panel is affected, only the output of the microinverter attached to that panel will be impacted. While their upfront costs are higher, they enhance energy harvesting by minimising shading effects and improving system reliability, making them ideal for complex installations.

String inverters convert the output of one string of PV panels into AC power. String inverters provide modularisation and redundancy compared to central designs, allowing for backup inverter capacity. This means that if one inverter fails, the PV system can continue functioning. These allow the PV array to be divided into multiple smaller sub-arrays, improving reliability. Multi-phase string inverters were later introduced to handle multiple strings across different phases.

Standalone/off-grid inverters

These inverters are also known as battery inverters and are specifically designed for remote applications or off-grid power systems with battery backup. These systems draw DC power from batteries charged by PV arrays and convert it into AC power, making them ideal for areas with limited grid access or frequent interruptions. They come in variants with and without storage capabilities.

Hybrid inverters

Hybrid inverters combine the functionalities of grid-connected and standalone systems with integrated battery storage. These inverters allow solar systems to integrate both solar power and battery storage. The hybrid inverter optimises the flow of energy by directing solar power to batteries, which can then supply energy during periods of low sunlight or when power demand is high. As the demand for energy storage solutions increases, hybrid solar inverters have become a key player in both off-grid and grid-tied systems alike. This trend is expected to grow further as the cost of batteries continues to fall, making solar-plus-storage systems more accessible.

Smart inverters and advanced monitoring systems

Smart inverters enable real-time communication between the inverter, solar panels, batteries and the utility grid. These inverters can optimise performance by automatically adjusting to varying sunlight conditions and grid demands. They also provide detailed data and insights through mobile apps or cloud-based platforms, helping users and installers monitor system performance, identify issues and perform maintenance remotely. A smart inverter can generate an alarm or warning, which enables the plant operator to address the fault before it can become permanent. The data collected by smart inverters can also be used to improve grid stability. For instance, modern inverters can actively manage voltage and frequency regulation in response to changes in power generation or consumption, thereby supporting grid operators in balancing supply and demand. These inverters have the ability to supply reactive power both during the day and night.

Another smart technology in the solar inverter space is the uptake of maximum power point tracking (MPPT). According to CLASP, MPPT is a built-in algorithm that extracts the maximum available power from PV modules under varying conditions by monitoring and adjusting to the maximum power point voltage. The system continuously measures panel output against battery voltage to optimise power generation. MPPT technology offers numerous advantages, including optimised solar panel output through constant monitoring and adjustment of electrical operating points based on environmental conditions. It enhances energy output through continuous tracking, provides dynamic voltage and current adjustments, ensures compatibility with inverter inputs, improves overall system performance, mitigates partial shading effects and increases energy efficiency in grid-tied systems.

Market trends and future outlook

According to the report “Market Assessment Study of Grid-Connected Solar Inverters Under the Standards and Labeling Program” by CLASP, grid-connected solar inverters without storage dominate with an 80 per cent market share, followed by off-grid and hybrid variants. The solar inverter market is projected to reach Rs 93.52 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 14.4 per cent from 2020 to 2026. Single-phase inverters predominate in the up to 5 kW solar plant segment, while three-phase inverters command approximately 60 per cent of the market in higher capacity installations.

Recent trends show a shift towards modular, flexible and standardised designs, with emerging modular micro inverters eliminating single point of failure risks through a distributed approach. Modern inverters increasingly incorporate smart communication capabilities, enabling remote monitoring, control and trouble-shooting through cloud-based platforms. Going forward, the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning will further enhance diagnostic capabilities and operational efficiency.

Recent developments and innovations in inverter architecture have resulted in higher efficiency levels and better heat management. These improvements allow inverters to handle more power with smaller and more compact designs, reducing both space and installation costs. Earlier, solar inverters utilised bulky line frequency transformers to provide electrical isolation and step up the DC voltage. However, transformer-less inverter topologies have been introduced to reduce size, weight and materials. They use advanced control techniques and silicon carbide switching devices to safely isolate the DC and AC sides.

The integration of smart technology in solar inverters is transforming the way solar power systems are monitored and managed. Inverters are evolving from simply converting DC to AC to performing advanced grid support functions that enable greater penetration of renewables into the grid. These devices are no longer just power conversion units but are evolving into intelligent energy management systems. From hybrid inverters that combine solar generation with energy storage to smart inverters that enable real-time monitoring and optimisation, these innovations are transforming the way solar power is harnessed and managed. The growing adoption of microinverters and higher efficiency designs, and the integration with electric vehicle charging and microgrids further highlight the potential of solar inverters.

As the solar sector expands its energy share, inverters will play a crucial role in maintaining grid stability, integrating storage solutions and enabling decentralised energy distribution. Continued innovations in customisation and digitalisation are expected going forward.

Originally carried in Renewable Watch, a sister concern of REGlobal.

Five climate change stories to keep an eye on this year

Jan 10, 2025

It was reckoned that the Middle East could be a beacon of sustainable development, but there are five climate change stories to keep an eye on this year. We can already tell with, amongst many events, the ongoing wildfires in California.

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Five climate change stories to keep an eye on this year

The image above caption is Can President Trump delay the ‘historic megatrend’ towards clean energy?
Rebekah Zemansky / Shutterstock

Will de Freitas, The Conversation

This year will be one of the hottest ever. It’ll probably feature horrendous extreme weather, crop failures and a further crackdown on climate activism.

But it’s also a year in which we may see huge progress on renewable energy, a global agreement on plastic pollution, and the next set of global emissions targets.

This week’s Imagine newsletter is an overview of a few climate-related events and trends to look out for in the coming year.

This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage comes from our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed.

An ICJ ruling on climate change

Sometime in the next few months, the international court of justice (ICJ) will issue a major ruling on “the obligations of states in respect of climate change”. The court is based in the Netherlands and is the UN’s main judicial body. It may rule that states are obliged to take full stewardship of the environment for both present and future generations.

“This would go beyond global climate change agreements,” points out Claudia Ituarte-Lima, a human rights and climate law expert at Lund University.

“The problem currently is that certain state actions (and inactions) may be considered sufficient under the UN’s Paris agreement, but that does not mean those states are complying with their duties to tackle climate change under international human rights law. Climate change and ecosystem degradation can, of course, violate a wide range of human rights. If the ICJ were to legally clarify that states do have climate obligations that go beyond the Paris agreement, that would represent a significant step forward in international law.”

(Even) more expensive food

We might not see the massive price spikes of 2022 and 2023, but climate change will continue to make food more costly to produce. About a third of recent UK food inflation is estimated to come from climate impacts, for instance.

Jessica Boxall and Michael Head of the University of Southampton point out that, among other factors, “Higher temperatures can cause long-established and predictable farming seasons to shift and so may hinder crop production.”

“The drivers of food inflation,” they write, “are already worsening food insecurity.”

bags of rice in a market in Zanzibar, Tanzania — Food price inflation will be a major cause of climate-driven unrest.
Curioso.Photography / Shutterstock

Laurie Laybourn and James Dyke of the University of Exeter see food prices as a key part of a “doom loop” of escalating climate impacts and political instability often driven by inflation.

“This is a vicious circle,” they write. “Climate change is making geopolitics less stable, which harms climate action. This will worsen climate change, meaning more geopolitical instability, and so on. The risk is that this “doom loop” runs faster and faster and ultimately derails our ability to phase out fossil fuels fast enough to avoid the worst climate consequences.“

Climate action to continue – despite Trump

The re-election of Donald Trump certainly isn’t good news for climate action. But there are good reasons to think some progress will continue anyway.

In a piece looking at why Trump can’t derail global climate action researchers from UNSW Sydney point out that the global transition to clean energy is a “historic megatrend” that won’t be changed by a single US president.

Clean energy momentum is likely to continue in the US, they say, as “much of the Biden-era spending on clean energy industries went to Republican states and Congressional districts”.

They also point out that the US still wants to beat China, which “currently dominates global production of electric vehicles, batteries, wind turbines and solar panels”. That means “internal pressure in the US to counter China’s manufacturing might will continue”.

A climate summit in the ‘gateway to the Amazon’

The Brazilian city of Belém will host this year’s UN climate summit, Cop30, in November. It will be the tenth summit since the Paris agreement was signed in 2014 (the pandemic meant we missed a year) and it’s expected to be a particularly important meeting, as countries lock in their next set of pledges to reduce emissions.

Belém is capital of the state of Pará, which stretches from the coast hundreds of miles into the heart of the Amazon basin. As such, the city is often called the gateway to the Amazon.

Brazilian city with skyscrapers — Belém is the largest city in the Amazon Delta region.
Pedro Magrod / Shutterstock

Eloisa Beling Loose and Claudia Herte de Moraes, both professors of communication in Brazil, say the location of the summit exposes competing narratives for Brazil and the Amazon:

“While the region is seen as part of the solution to the crisis (due to the possibility of carbon capture and biodiversity preservation), the exploitation of its resources and the marginalization of its populations are evident.”

They talk about the challenges of making the capital of Pará a place of “climate defence”. After all, they write, “the discourse of progress combined with deforestation remains strong in this region”.

The third hottest year ever?

Last year was the hottest year on record, probably the hottest for about 130,000 years. This year is expected to be slightly cooler, but still hotter than every single other year in human history aside from 2023 and 2024.

Writing when temperatures peaked in summer 2024, Christopher Merchant, a climate scientist at the University of Reading, pointed out that “global warming doesn’t happen in a smooth progression. Like UK house prices, the general trend is up, but there are ups and downs along the way.”

One of the drivers of those “ups” is El Niño, a weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean which tends to increase global temperatures. 2023 and 2024 were both El Niño years, but that phase has now ended.

Merchant says: “El Niño acts a bit like a ratchet on global warming. A big El Niño event breaks new records and establishes a new, higher norm for global temperatures. That new normal reflects the underlying global warming trend.”

“A plausible scenario is that global temperatures will fluctuate near the 1.4°C level for several years, until the next big El Niño event pushes the world above 1.5°C of warming, perhaps in the early 2030s.”

Will de Freitas, Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Clean Energy & Solar Conference at World Future Energy Summit 2025

Nov 8, 2024

Zawya reports that the Clean Energy & Solar Conference at the World Future Energy Summit 2025 will accelerate the MENA region’s ambitious renewable energy transition. The World Future Energy Summit will host the dedicated Clean Energy & Solar Conference and Exhibition at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) in January 2025.

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Clean Energy & Solar Conference at World Future Energy Summit 2025 to accelerate MENA renewables transition

The event\\u2019s solar exhibition, the largest of the six verticals, will host over 100 exhibitors. Image Courtesy: RELX

Global experts will explore progress as MENA country 2030 renewables target deadlines come into view

Press Release

November 8, 2024

Conference to be investment, innovation, and education nexus with region’s vast potential driving global solar hub ambitions

Abu Dhabi, UAE – The MENA region’s ambitious renewable energy transition is poised to be accelerated at pace when the World Future Energy Summit hosts the dedicated Clean Energy & Solar Conference and Exhibition at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) in January 2025.

The event’s solar exhibition, the largest of the six verticals, will host over 100 exhibitors in January, covering innovative product categories such as energy storage technologies, photovoltaic cells and modules, rooftop solar PV systems, utility-scale PV systems, as well as hosting several regional and international trade and industry associations, government regulators, and utility companies.

As countries across the region progress an assortment of renewable energy agendas, the conference and large-scale exhibition vertical will bring together a powerhouse gathering of industry experts, innovators, and investors to explore the latest developments, strategies, and innovations shaping the clean energy and solar sector.

Pivotally, the Clean Energy & Solar Conference, which will run on January 14-16, 2025, arrives as many regional government’s long-term energy commitments – linked to wider national development and economic diversification initiatives – come into focus five years ahead of 2030 expiry dates.

At the tip of the renewables spear, GCC member states boast some of the world’s highest solar exposures with their geographical position in the heart of the global sunbelt, making Gulf countries an ideal global hub for solar energy development. ScienceDirect estimated that GCC countries plan to add an estimated 66 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale renewable energy by 2030, driven by a pressing need to transition from fossil fuels.

According to a new report from the International Energy Agency, the combined objective of MENA countries is to reach 201 GW of renewable capacity by 2030. While the main-case forecast falls 26 per cent short of the 2030 target, not all countries will miss their announced ambitions. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Algeria are responsible for nearly 60 per cent of the region’s total renewable energy mix, but are currently tracking short on installed capacity ambitions. The UAE, Oman, and Morocco, meanwhile, are all expected to exceed end-of-decade targets.

Across the Middle East, multi-billion-dollar investments are making an unprecedented pipeline of major upcoming solar, wind and hydrogen production facilities. While the UAE and Saudi Arabia lead, the breadth and ambition of projects should be seen as a regional commitment to clean energy. In terms of investment, the largest is Noor Energy 1, a US$4.3 billion project, managed by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, that will include the world’s tallest solar tower (260 metres), making it one of the most advanced mixed solar technology projects in the world. Saudi Arabia is investing US$1.5 billion in its Red Sea Solar Project, which will provide power to the Red Sea Development, which has a 100 per cent renewable energy target and is part of the Kingdom’s broader push for sustainable tourism.

“This conference comes at a crucial time as regional players pursue ambitious renewable energy targets by 2030,” said Hinde Liepmannsohn, Executive Director of MESIA who are releasing their Solar Outlook Report 2025 at the Summit. “Saudi Arabia is aiming to generate 50 per cent of its electricity from renewables, the UAE plans to triple its renewables contribution, Oman is targeting the generation of 30 per cent of its electricity from renewables, and Qatar intends to boost the share of renewables in its power mix from five per cent to 18 per cent.

“We have been producing this report for more than 10 years, and readers can expect comprehensive data and insights that provide a thorough overview of the latest updates across the region. In addition to covering more than 14 countries, it also features the expertise of our members and partners on crucial topics impacting the growth of solar, including technology and financing.”

The conference also follows recent UAE initiatives to enhance its renewable energy landscape, which will be highlighted at the Summit. The UAE’s Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure (MOEI) and Etihad Water and Electricity (EtihadWE) have partnered on a project to install rooftop solar panels in the Northern Emirates, enabling homes, businesses, and farms to contribute to the country’s renewable energy supply.

Simultaneously, MOEI has also partnered with Siemens Energy to integrate cutting-edge solutions into the nation’s energy sector, while Masdar, the Summit’s host, is expanding its renewables portfolio through acquisitions, including the recent purchase of Saeta Yield’s assets, by adding 745 MW of wind energy and 1.6 GW of solar projects in Spain and Portugal.

The conference features a compelling agenda with panel discussions, keynotes, and fireside talks on crucial topics such as energy transition investment; grid optimisation for energy transition; net-zero pathways; long-duration energy storage; the rise of green hydrogen and future hydrogen markets; AI in energy planning and management, and carbon removal technologies. Notable speakers include Yasin Kasirga, Decarbonisation Leader – Middle East & Africa at GE Vernova, and Dr Mohammad Abu Zahra, Head of Middle East and Africa at the Global Carbon Capture and Storage (CSS) Institute, who will discuss the role of carbon removal technologies in energy transition models.

“In the CCS domain, we see the Gulf region as a major emerging market,” said Abu Zahra. “The GCC states all offer excellent geological storage capacity, gas separation knowledge, and strong governmental commitments. As the world accelerates toward net-zero goals, carbon removal technologies will play a critical role in reshaping the energy landscape and driving meaningful climate action.”

With over 400 global companies anticipated to participate, the 2025 Summit serves as a vital B2B platform for the clean energy sector, aligning with the UAE’s Energy Strategy 2050 to target investments of up to AED200 billion by 2030 to meet growing energy demands.

“Exhibitors will have the unique opportunity to network and form partnerships with industry specialists as the sector works collectively toward a common goal of a sustainable energy future,” said Leen AlSebai, General Manager of RX Middle East and Head of the World Future Energy Summit.

The Clean Energy & Solar Conference is one of seven dedicated knowledge exchange streams at the Summit, with each offering in-depth discussions on themes ranging from AI in sustainability to initiatives supporting women in energy. With its holistic approach to clean energy dialogues, the conference agendas aim to drive actionable strategies for a sustainable future.

About World Future Energy Summit

The annual World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi is the world’s leading business event for future energy, clean-tech, and sustainability. Bringing together government and business leaders, through its exhibitions and conferences, it showcases pioneering solutions and ground-breaking initiatives in clean energy, water, EcoWASTE, smart cities, and climate change.

As a global hub for business, innovation, and knowledge exchange, the World Future Energy Summit inspires the advancement and transfer of ideas, technologies, and investment across borders and between the public and private sectors worldwide. The exhibition and industry conferences help stimulate sustainable growth for all stakeholders.

For more information, please visit http://www.worldfutureenergysummit.com. The featured image is for illustration worldfutureenergysummit

China’s Green Energy Wave enters the Middle East

Oct 22, 2024

China’s Green Energy Wave enters the Middle East, facing rising trade barriers and diplomatic tensions with the US and the EU. Its renewable energy companies are smoothly marketing the region as an alternative market for goods, including electric vehicles (EVs), lithium-ion batteries, and solar panels. A good question is who wants to dominate the world’s green energy markets?Image above – “Xi of Arabia,”

China’s Green Energy Wave enters the Middle East

Neil Thompson

18 October 2024

London (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Facing rising trade barriers and diplomatic tensions with the US and the EU, Chinese renewable energy companies are turning to Middle Eastern states as an alternative market for goods including electric vehicles (EVs), lithium-ion batteries, and solar panels. The US, the EU and Canada have all imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs, amid accusations that Beijing is dumping excess Chinese production overseas and using unfair subsidies. “Global markets are now flooded with cheaper [Chinese] electric cars. And their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in September last year.

The EU has begun a probe into Chinese wind turbine companies. Then-Commission Executive Vice-President for Competition Margarethe Vestager warned that a wave of subsidised Chinese wind turbine exports: “is not only dangerous for our competitiveness. It also jeopardises our economic security.” The EU remains scarred by its loss of a trade war to China over the bloc’s solar power industry a decade earlier. Western governments and activists have also expressed concerns that China’s green sector is tied to human rights abuses like forced labour in Xinjiang.

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In the Middle East, however, many governments remain open to Chinese green sector exports and have struck commercial agreements to gain investment from its major firms. In July, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund struck joint investment deals with Chinese solar power companies Jinko Solar and TCL Zhonghuan. Meanwhile, Saudi investment business ALGIHAZ signed a contract to build an energy storage facility with Chinese company Sungrow. The Australian Griffith Asia Institute calculated that altogether Chinese firms worked on green energy projects across the Middle East worth about $9.5 billion over 2018-2023.

Middle Eastern States Piggyback Off China

China’s government and Chinese state-owned or state-linked companies have been able to offer commercial and political advantages to Middle Eastern governments seeking to decarbonize their economies. Western engineering and manufacturing firms’ projects are regulated by numerous rules intended to prevent corruption, environmental harm and other negative development outcomes. Chinese companies under the direction of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) face no such restraints, though the quality of the infrastructure they have produced under China’s signature Belt & Road Project (BRI) initiative has varied. For autocratic Middle Eastern governments like the Gulf monarchies, however, Chinese companies have the ability to build high-technology critical infrastructure without the need to appease external stakeholders like the human rights groups or independent media outlets found in Western countries.

Chinese companies are also generally happy to operate in a Middle Eastern business environment that still often relies on patronage to get deals done. The CCP has cultivated particularly close ties with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, Egypt, and Algeria, with whose governments Beijing has signed comprehensive strategic partnerships (the most elevated type of bilateral agreement with China). These relationships have borne increasing fruit as the BRI has matured and new technology has widened the appeal of clean energy and other green industries. Petrostates like Saudi Arabia have belatedly woken up to the threat of climate change and their own potential ability to take advantage of clean energy like solar power.

Doing Deals to Decarbonize

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing in June. Xi promised his government would cooperate more closely with the Arab country on a range of industries including “information technology, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and new energy.” China was already the UAE’s biggest trading partner in 2022 while the Arab state was Beijing’s biggest Arab trading partner, the UAE’s economy ministry said in 2023. While renewable energy development is only one aspect of the burgeoning diplomatic and trading relationship between the two sides, it is an important consideration for the UAE and its Net Zero 2050 strategy to decarbonize the country’s economy. Given China’s private sector is subordinate to the political aims of the ruling CCP, further Chinese green investment is likely to flow to the UAE in 2025. The UAE is also investing in renewables in East Asia, with its green energy firm Masdar aiming to install 2 gigawatts of renewable power in ASEAN countries by 2025. The firm was invited by the Philippines government to invest in Manila’s green sector too.

In May, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, said “new energy” and “critical minerals” were among the areas the country was interested in engaging with Beijing. Chinese CEOs held meetings with UAE officials in July following the UAE president’s state visit to discuss bilateral cooperation in various areas, including solar power and renewable energy. The UAE’s example is being replicated by other Middle Eastern governments with whom China has cultivated close relations. At the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September, Egypt signed agreements worth more than $1.1 billion with Chinese companies, which included the country’s first green chemical plant. China’s Befar Group will build a $500 million facility powered energy sources including natural gas, wind and solar energy. A second deal involves the creation of a $100 million solar panel factory. Chinese companies are building solar power plants in Algeria and becoming investors and co-investors in Saudi and UAE solar and wind projects as these two countries decarbonise their power grids.

China Seeks to Refute Dumping Narratives

Meanwhile, Middle Eastern demand for Chinese clean energy infrastructure and products allows Beijing to claim it is not engaged in overproduction in sectors like EV manufacturing or renewable energy products and dumping the resulting excess on foreign markets. Much criticism of Chinese trade practices in the country’s green industries has come from the US and other Western governments. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in April that excess Chinese manufacturing capacity in sectors like EVs and solar panels was intensifying. Chinese state media and CEOs like the head of vehicle manufacturer Great Wall Motor International have denied this, although non-Western countries like Turkey have also imposed tariffs on Chinese exports like EVs. China has taken Turkey to the World Trade Organization in response.

Trade tensions between China and governments under pressure to restrict Chinese green technology exports are likely to endure in many parts of the world. In the Middle East, however, Beijing and local regimes continue to discover synergies between their development needs. China’s sluggish economy and growing trade tensions with the Global North have left it in need of new markets for its goods. Meanwhile, Middle Eastern governments need the country’s know-how and deep pockets if they are to overhaul their own 20^th-century fossil fuel infrastructure and create new jobs in the emerging green economies of the 21^st century.

About the Author

Neil Thompson is a freelance writer who has lived and travelled extensively through East Asia and the Middle East. He holds an MA in the International Relations of East Asia from Durham University, and is now based in the UK.

Turkey aims to boost renewable energy share in electricity production

Oct 21, 2024

Like most countries, Turkey aims to boost its share of renewable energy in electricity production. MENA is pondering its energy options whilst Balancing the grid with solar growth in a fossil-fuel world.

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Turkey aims to boost renewable energy share in electricity production

By Newsroom Odisha Network

21 October 2024

Ankara: Turkey is aiming to further boost the share of renewable energy in its electricity production to 47.8 per cent by 2025, according to a report by the semi-official Anadolu Agency, citing the 2025 budget proposal of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry.

The proposal outlines plans to increase the contribution of solar power plants (SPP), wind power plants (WPP), geothermal power plants (GPP), and hydroelectric power plants (HPP) in the energy mix, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to data from the Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation, Turkey currently has an installed capacity of 32,195 MW from HPP, 12,369 MW from WPP, 18,756 MW from SPP, and 1,691 MW from GPP.

By 2025, the country reportedly aims to expand this capacity to 32,395 MW for HPP, 14,800 MW for WPP, 22,600 MW for SPP, and 4,487 MW for GPP.

The share of renewable energy in electricity production, which was 42.7 per cent in 2023, is expected to reach 45 per cent by the end of 2024 and 47.8 per cent in 2025, Anadolu said.

According to the budget proposal, the country is also aiming to increase the share of domestic resources in electricity production to 58.9 per cent by the end of this year and 59.4 per cent by 2025 while reducing natural gas’s share to 20.7 per cent by the end of 2024 and 18.9 per cent by 2025. In 2023, natural gas accounted for 21.4 per cent of electricity production.

To facilitate these objectives, the ministry is expected to receive a budget of 45.3 billion lire ($1.33 billion) for the year 2025.