Landmark energy law expected to help meet climate goals

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has introduced a sweeping legislative reform aimed at accelerating renewable energy investments.

But the new regulation is also expected to make a significant contribution to Türkiye's 2035 renewable energy targets and its 2053 net-zero emissions vision.

The new framework — often referred to as the “Super Permit Law” — shortens the permitting process for wind projects from up to four years to just one and a half years. For solar energy, permitting processes that currently take an average of two years, depending on the scale and type of project, are expected to be reduced to one and a half years.

Facilitations are being introduced in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) applications and procedures, and the EIA is no longer a mandatory prerequisite for obtaining zoning permits.

“Under the reform, the Energy Ministry and the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) are granted expanded authority to fast-track approvals,” said Hakan Erkan, secretary general of the Solar Energy Industrialists and Industry Association (GENSED), adding that energy projects will progress more rapidly thanks to the strengthened authority of the two institutions.

Kalaycı pointed out that pending investments are expected to move to the implementation phase more quickly and emphasized that with the shortening of permitting processes, wind projects will be realized faster than in many European countries.

“By shortening permitting processes, we can create a more attractive investment environment, especially for foreign investors,” he said.