In terms of renewable energy installed capacity, Turkey is ranked 12th in the world and in the top five in Europe. Experts believe that Ankara can export green hydrogen to Europe in the future, referring to countries’ ‘zero carbon’ targets in 2050.
The current account deficit is clearly one of Turkey’s most pressing and urgent issues. Energy is the largest component of the current account deficit. Ankara, which has explored a variety of options to lessen energy reliance on foreign sources, has recently come to the fore with its efforts in the sector of renewable energy.
This condition is, of course, represented in the numbers… Turkey, along with Germany, Spain, France, and Italy, is now among the top five nations in Europe and the top 12 countries in the world in terms of renewable energy installed power. Renewable energy accounts for more than 53% of its installed power, which exceeds 99 gigawatts (GW), and this percentage is growing as investments are made.
Renewable energy sources account for 25% of worldwide power output on average. Turkey, on the other hand, achieved a renewable energy generation rate of 43 percent in 2020. Ankara now ranks higher than the global average.
The global energy crisis and energy revolution were among the most significant topics covered at a recent conference hosted by the Paris-based think tank “Trocadéro Forum.” Caner Can, Turkey’s Energy Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was invited to the event, which was attended by specialists from many sectors from across the world.
Before going on to Can’s proposed scenario for Turkey, it’s worth taking a look at the current state of energy in the globe… Increases in the price of oil, natural gas, and coal have risen to the top of the global agenda. Coal prices in Europe have climbed by 300 percent in the previous year, Brent oil prices have increased by 90 percent, and the Henry Hub natural gas price, which is used as a benchmark in the United States, has increased by 90 percent.
In China, the world’s ‘production hub,’ industries were forced to close due to power outages. The supply chain has been interrupted as a result of this. Low winds in the North Sea have caused power disruptions across Europe. Gas prices in the United States have climbed well above the 10-year norm.
According to Caner Can, the world is on the eve of a significant energy change… What role will Turkey play in this transformation? Can react by pointing out that Ankara is a signatory to the Paris Agreement. And he begins by reiterating his 2053 net-zero emissions goal.
He calls attention to the fact that, given the size and dynamism of the Turkish economy and energy sector, achieving our 2053 net-zero emission objective may pose considerable hurdles.
He also mentions Turkey’s advantages in this process, citing “Turkey’s successful strategy in terms of energy source and route diversity, the strongest energy infrastructure in its region, its renewable energy potential, and the recent high capacity utilization rates recorded in this field as examples.” It’s also worth noting that nuclear power will soon be part of Turkey’s energy mix. All of this carries a lot of promise.”
Caner Can emphasize that hydrogen will be a new and key actor in achieving “zero carbon emission,” which is one of the world’s most pressing challenges. He claims that Turkey is working hard to outline its national hydrogen plan as soon as possible. In this context, we discover that hydrogen is being investigated for application in energy generation and transportation.
“It is conceivable to manufacture green hydrogen from renewable sources with near-zero greenhouse gas emissions,” Can adds. He argues that green hydrogen may help Turkey modernize its energy system, in addition to its outstanding potential in the domains of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
This topic drew the attention of the panel… Caner Can discuss a report just released by an Istanbul-based NGO and illustrates Turkey’s potential in the field:
“According to the analysis, Turkey may produce up to 3.4 million tons of green hydrogen annually in 2050 by increasing the proportion of renewable resources in the existing energy supply basket and making the necessary expenditures.” Given that our country’s green hydrogen consumption will be restricted to 1.9 million tons until 2050, it appears that 45-60% of our output may be exported. This indicates that Turkey may sell between 1.5 and 2 million tons of green hydrogen to European countries.
Pipelines can be used to transfer hydrogen… In this context, the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), which is the major backbone of the Southern Gas Corridor, might profit from the export of green hydrogen to Europe, bolstering the energy supply security of Europe, which is now experiencing record gas and power costs. According to the study, it may be exported by ship transportation after being converted to ammonia.
Turkey’s enormous renewable energy potential may potentially play a vital role in ensuring affordable costs for green hydrogen and ammonia in our area in the years leading up to 2050. Of course, the competitive price environment will allow the market in this region to deepen and develop, as well as attract more market participants to participate in trade. In other words, Turkey’s green hydrogen successes will have a multiplier impact in our area.”
Caner Can, an energy consultant, continues to use electricity as an example for a better understanding… Since 2015, Turkey has been a member of the European Electricity Transmission System Operators Network, he tells us. To put it another way, Turkey exchanges power with EU nations and can export surplus electricity to the EU.
According to EMRA data, Greece received 95 percent of our 2.79 terawatt-hours in power exports in 2019 while Bulgaria received 4%. This export accounted for 5% of Greece’s electricity output and 25% of its electricity imports.
Can anticipate that this substantial collaboration in the sector of power will be extended to the commerce in hydrogen and ammonia.
Of course, another question emerges at this moment… Yes, Turkey has the capability to produce this. Is this, therefore, something that Europe requires? Can cite this as one of the issues towards the end of his speech:
“Green hydrogen is a crucial priority and importance in reaching the European Union’s lofty ambitions set out in the Green Deal. To develop an ecosystem in this sector in the EU, significant expenditures and planning are required.
By 2030, the EU aims to have 40 GW of electrolyzer capacity for hydrogen generation and 10 million tons of green hydrogen production. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, such a lofty goal would necessitate the EU importing green hydrogen from neighboring nations (IRENA).
The Clean Hydrogen Alliance in Europe was founded to aid in the execution of the EU’s hydrogen plan and to support the Green Deal’s zero-carbon promise by 2050. TANAP was included in the European Hydrogen Backbone in the initiative’s final report.
The importance of the cooperation to be established with Turkey in this field will be better understood, given the fact that the infrastructure in the natural gas field is not durable enough in these regions of Eastern and Southeastern Europe where there are not enough natural gas network connections between countries yet.
Furthermore, Turkey-EU hydrogen cooperation will help all countries in the area to establish economic activity, expand employment, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels in this field. These advantages will make it simpler to overcome any future obstacles posed by the Border Carbon Regulation Mechanism.
All of this demonstrates that Turkey is an important participant and partner in Europe’s smart and sustainable energy transition.”
