Turkey's Renewable Energy Potential: Policies and Practice

Abstract

The energy sector holds a crucial strategic importance for development and its sustainability. However, the energy reserves in Turkey are insufficient for the increasing energy demand. For this reason, the need for alternative energy sources has emerged. The fact that fossil fuels used in energy production will be exhausted and their damaging effects on the environment has made it inevitable for the world to use renewable energy. In Turkey, the following are the main energy sources used in electricity production: hydraulic sources, brown coal, natural gas, coal and fuel oil. The use of renewable energy sources in electricity production has shown a considerable development in the world over the past few decades. However, these energy resources have yet to be exploited to any large extent in Turkey. In this chapter, the range of potential renewable energy resources available for electricity production in Turkey will be analyzed in order to determine the necessary technical substructure to make these renewable energy resources more attractive.