Fatih Birol: Offshore wind energy is one of the areas where Turkey and France can work together

International Energy Agency (IEA) President Fatih Birol stated that the clean energy transition is continuing rapidly worldwide, noting that 85 percent of the power plants built this year are clean energy plants.

The "French-Turkish Clean Energy Summit," organized in collaboration with the Turkish-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Rönesans Enerji to encourage cooperation and joint investments in the energy sector between France and Turkey, was held in Istanbul.

Participating in the summit online, Birol stated that the clean energy transition is progressing rapidly, saying, "This year, 85 percent of the new power plants built in the world were clean energy plants. Approximately 80 percent of this was renewable, and 5 percent was nuclear power plants. Fossil fuel-based plants such as coal, oil, and natural gas accounted for only 15 percent of this."

Birol expressed that regardless of where in the world they are, clean energy sources will dominate the electricity sector in the near future, adding, "The reason for this is not climate change. In most cases, it is because it is cost-competitive and due to energy security reasons."

Pointing out that another trend is the transformation in the transportation sector, Birol said, "Three years ago, 1 out of every 25 vehicles sold worldwide was electric, whereas this year, 1 out of every 5 vehicles is electric."

Birol drew attention to the fact that nuclear energy investments have increased in many countries in recent years, stating, "In my view, nuclear energy is one of the fundamental components of electricity generation. We are seeing a strong comeback of nuclear energy all over the world."

Birol also noted the following regarding clean energy investments:

"In 2015, total clean energy investments in the world were approximately 1 trillion dollars. Today, clean energy investments are approaching 2 trillion dollars. The clean energy transition is strong, but it is not aligned with climate goals. However, the energy landscape is changing very rapidly. France, Turkey, and other countries need to position themselves in terms of the deployment of this clean energy."

POTENTIAL AREAS OF ENERGY COOPERATION BETWEEN TURKEY AND FRANCE

Touching upon areas where Turkey and France can cooperate in the energy sector, Birol said that nuclear energy is one of them.

Birol stated that Turkey has great potential in terms of renewable energy sources, adding, "Offshore wind energy is also one of the areas where Turkey and France can work together."

Regarding cooperation in energy efficiency, Birol assessed, "Energy efficiency is another area where Turkey and France can benefit from each other in terms of both policy and technology. The fourth and final area is the manufacturing of clean energy equipment. I believe that energy is a topic that can mobilize the agenda in Turkey-France relations."