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Türkiye's strong renewable energy potential could lower green hydrogen production costs and give the country an advantage in both domestic and export markets, a U.N. Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) official said at the COP31 climate conference.
About 70% of green hydrogen production costs come from energy, so Türkiye’s low energy costs could create significant opportunities, Petra Schwager, chief of UNIDO’s Climate and Technology Partnerships Division, told Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA).
"The country’s geographical location could provide an advantage in delivering the hydrogen to be produced to international markets and in regional energy connections," Schwager said.
"I have seen that this potential is also considered in Türkiye’s hydrogen strategy. We hope Türkiye will also join the ‘Hydrogen Bridge’ initiative we launched as UNIDO. Under this initiative, we are working on mechanisms to promote local hydrogen use," she said, adding that UNIDO wants Türkiye to rejoin its international hydrogen cooperation network.
Schwager said electrification and hydrogen should not be seen as alternatives in the energy transition.
"If there is a surplus in renewable energy production, you can use it to produce hydrogen and store large amounts of energy. The amount of energy in the hydrogen molecule is quite high," she said.
"Using renewable energy sources not only directly for electricity but also through hydrogen production will contribute to the energy system. Türkiye can lower the cost of green hydrogen by using its strong renewable energy potential," she said, noting hydrogen is an important raw material for industry.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz told a COP31 session on the Global Electricity Grids Accelerator that Türkiye has tripled its installed renewable capacity in the past decade.
"What made this possible is the investment we made in the grid along with production. Our system, which operates synchronously with the European continental grid, has made Türkiye an energy bridge between Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East and Central Asia," he said.
More than 2,500 gigawatts of renewable projects worldwide are waiting for grid connection, Yilmaz said. Annual global grid investment of about $450 billion must rise 50% in the next three years, and more than 80 million kilometers of lines will need to be renewed or built by 2040, he said. "Clean energy without grids is like a vehicle that cannot hit the road."
Türkiye plans to add 8 gigawatts of new renewable capacity each year through 2035, alongside transmission, storage and flexibility investments, Yilmaz said. "We are ready to share our experience, especially with our partners in Africa and ASEAN."
The COP31 presidency has set a goal of raising electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035, he said, adding that the Climate Implementation Bridge (BRIDGE) will help turn grid projects into investable portfolios. Africa’s Mission 300 initiative to electrify 300 million people and the ASEAN Power Grid will be the accelerator’s first tests, he said, inviting development banks, private investors and technology providers to back them, as Türkiye eyes a role in green hydrogen.
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