Turkey has launched a national hydrogen strategy targeting 2 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030, 5 GW by 2035, and an ambitious 70 GW by 2053. The strategy emphasizes localizing hydrogen technologies, increasing energy security, and establishing Turkey as a key exporter of green hydrogen. Turkey's rapidly expanding renewable base (75+ GW including hydro, with solar and wind quadrupling to 120 GW by 2035) provides the clean electricity foundation for electrolytic hydrogen production.
Turkey's geographic position makes it a natural hydrogen transit corridor. Sitting at the crossroads of European demand and abundant Anatolian renewable resources — high solar irradiation, strong wind corridors, and geothermal energy — Turkey could produce green hydrogen at competitive costs and pipe it to EU markets via existing natural gas infrastructure or new dedicated pipelines. The country's existing role as a gas transit hub (TurkStream, TANAP) provides infrastructure and institutional experience for hydrogen transport.
The strategic bet is that hydrogen becomes the decarbonization pathway for hard-to-abate industrial sectors (steel, cement, chemicals) where Turkey is a major producer. Indigenous green hydrogen would simultaneously reduce Turkey's $50B+ annual fossil fuel import bill, create an exportable energy commodity, and decarbonize domestic industry. Turkey's boron reserves add another dimension — boron-based compounds are being researched globally for solid-state hydrogen storage, potentially creating a unique Turkish advantage at the intersection of mineral wealth and hydrogen technology.