Key facts
- The wind agreement advances the second phase of a 5 GW renewable program led by Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power.
- The 3 GW of wind capacity equals 20% of Turkey's existing wind power generation capacity, per the Turkish energy ministry.
- Turkey's low-carbon target would require installing 10 GW of new capacity a year, the report said.
- Saudi Arabia aims to draw around 50% of its electricity from renewables by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2060.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed an agreement to advance 3 GW of wind power projects in Turkey, part of a broader 5 GW renewable energy program agreed earlier in 2026, Reuters reported, citing the Turkish energy ministry.
The program is led by Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power. Its first phase comprises 2 GW of solar projects in Sivas and Karaman, and the second phase comprises the 3 GW of wind projects that the new agreement advances. The wind capacity to be built under the bilateral deal equals 20% of Turkey's existing wind power generation capacity.
"We are deepening our strategic energy cooperation with Saudi Arabia," Turkish energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar said.
Turkey's government has a low-carbon capacity target that would require installing 10 GW of new capacity a year. Saudi Arabia, a global oil power, aims to generate around 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2060 under its Vision 2030 program, which is spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The solar phase was announced earlier in 2026, with Saudi Arabia committing approximately $2 billion to the two installations in Sivas and Karaman. Bayraktar said at the time that the projects should cover the electricity needs of some 2.1 million households once launched and would be financed entirely through external financing, with credit also provided by international financial institutions.