Saudi Arabia and Turkiye have signed a major agreement to build 3,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity, taking their joint clean energy programme to 5,000 MW. The pact was signed on Tuesday on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It deepens an energy partnership between the two countries that began with a government framework agreement signed in Riyadh in February.
FAKTA
- What was signed: a memorandum of understanding for phase two of the Saudi-Turkish renewable energy programme — 3,000 MW of wind power.
- When and where: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, at the COP31 climate summit in Antalya.
- Who signed: Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, in the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- Developer: Saudi company ACWA Power, designated by the Saudi government to build the projects.
- Total programme: 5,000 MW — 2,000 MW of solar power in phase one and 3,000 MW of wind power in phase two.
- Phase two extras: high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission lines and battery energy storage systems.
A partnership in two phases
The new memorandum builds on an intergovernmental agreement on renewable energy signed by the two governments in Riyadh on 3 February, which entered into force on 21 October. Under that framework, ACWA Power is developing 5,000 MW of renewable energy capacity in Turkiye in two phases.
Phase one, already under way, covers two solar power plants with a combined capacity of 2,000 MW in the provinces of Sivas and Karaman. The investment is worth around $2 billion, and power purchase agreements for the two plants have been signed. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, with commercial operation targeted for the start of 2028.
Phase two will now add 3,000 MW of wind power. It will be supported by HVDC transmission infrastructure and large-scale battery storage, designed to move electricity efficiently from wind farms to the grid and keep supply stable when the wind drops.
Why it matters for Turkiye
The scale of the deal is significant. The 3,000 MW of new wind capacity equals about one-fifth of Turkiye’s existing installed wind power capacity. Turkish officials say the country needs to add 10,000 MW of new wind and solar capacity every year to meet its long-term energy goals, including a target of 120 gigawatts of combined solar and wind capacity by 2035.
Energy Minister Bayraktar said the two countries were “deepening our strategic energy cooperation” with Saudi Arabia, adding that the investments would strengthen grid infrastructure and improve the flexibility of the electricity system.
A deal delivered at COP31
The signing shows the climate talks producing concrete investment as well as negotiation. For Saudi Arabia, the agreement makes it one of the largest foreign investors in Turkiye’s clean energy sector. For Turkiye, it brings capital, technology and new generating capacity as demand for electricity keeps rising.
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