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Türkiye is emerging as a strategic investment hub in the energy transition, with more than $1.8 billion in financing supported for energy projects in the country, GE Vernova Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Chief Roger Martella said at COP31.
Speaking to Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency during the U.N. climate summit hosted by Türkiye, Martella said electrification was accelerating changes in the energy system and called for stable, long-term policies to boost investment and raise electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35%.
He said Türkiye’s strategic location, regional electricity links, pipelines and industrial infrastructure strengthen its potential to become a regional energy hub.
Türkiye’s targets through 2040 for renewable energy, storage and grid infrastructure also create long-term investment opportunities across the energy value chain, he said.
Martella said GE Vernova has operated in Türkiye’s energy sector for more than 75 years, with its technologies supporting about 34 gigawatts of installed power generation capacity.
“We have contributed to providing more than $1.8 billion in financing for energy projects in Türkiye,” he said, adding that more than $900 million of that amount went to solar energy projects.
Martella said Türkiye’s energy transition should be viewed not only as a power-sector issue but as part of a broader industrial and economic strategy.
He said expanding generation capacity, strengthening grids, improving access to financing and developing local industry must progress together.
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Martella said growing global energy demand and increasing electrification require power grids to be treated as integrated systems.
He stressed the need to invest not only in renewable energy integration but also in transmission lines and physical infrastructure, particularly as electricity demand rises due to artificial intelligence and electrification.
He said policymakers should establish predictable, long-term regulatory frameworks based on technology neutrality, arguing that stable policies support innovation.
GE Vernova, he added, focuses on solutions that balance affordability, reliability and sustainability rather than applying a single energy transition model to every market.
Martella also emphasized the role of skilled workers in the energy transition, saying the transformation of the workforce was essential.
GE Vernova aims to reach 30,000 people in Türkiye through training programs by 2030, he said.
He added that young people would play an important role through their technical skills and innovative approaches, and said COP31 offered an opportunity to highlight career prospects in the energy transition.
Martella said Türkiye’s hosting of COP31 also gives the country an opportunity to turn climate goals into action, adding that the summit’s success would ultimately be measured by lasting partnerships, investable projects and concrete infrastructure investments.
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