TÜRKIYE

Türkiye has 4,608 megawatts (MW) of proposed coal capacity, which is an over 50% reduction in pre-construction capacity compared to 2022. Still, this capacity would increase the size of the country's operating coal fleet by nearly 25%. 2020 seemed to have marked a turning point for coal power, as numerous projects were cancelled. As of mid-2024, though, the country maintained its lead with the most remaining proposed capacity in the OECD. Intense organizing and large-scale public protests against coal helped pressure the Turkish government to cancel many projects and pass a law strengthening emissions standards for older coal plants. In April 2023, Türkiye submitted an updated Nationally Determined Contribution, increasing their target from a 21% to a 41% emissions reduction by 2030. The country also targets a peak in emissions in 2038 and has a goal of zero emissions by 2053. The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources outlined a plan that included a projection of 3.2 gigawatts (GW) of added coal capacity by 2035, which indicated that several more proposed coal projects will be cancelled beyond the 1,215 GW cancelled in 2023. However, the Turkish government has also approved coal mine expansions and signed an energy agreement with the United Arab Emirates that includes the possibility of new coal proposals.