Türkiye’s potential role in the European green hydrogen market and the importance of building domestic industrial demand were discussed at a special session during the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya on 11 November.
Petra Schwager, head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s (UNIDO) Global Hydrogen in Industry Programme, said international cooperation and practical industrial applications would be important to expanding green hydrogen adoption. She stressed that national policies should first address domestic requirements before integrating smaller producers and low-income exporting countries into international markets.
The session, titled International Cooperation and Opportunities for Green Hydrogen and Its Derivatives in Türkiye, was moderated by Fatih Kuşçu, Secretary-General of the Turkish Hydrogen Association (H2DER). Panellists included H2DER President Yusuf Günay, Biga Hydrogen founding partner Murat Aşcı and Akfen Renewable Energy board member Pelin Akın.
UNIDO highlights domestic priorities and industrial applications
Schwager said UNIDO’s cooperation with Türkiye on hydrogen began in 2004, initially focusing on transport before expanding towards a broader industrial strategy.
Her comments highlighted the importance of linking hydrogen production with identifiable industrial uses and domestic market requirements. Developing international trade opportunities, she indicated, would also require policies that enable smaller producers and exporters to participate in emerging hydrogen markets.
The discussion reflects a wider challenge facing the hydrogen sector: developing production capacity alongside the industrial demand, policy frameworks and commercial arrangements needed to support long-term deployment.
Türkiye looks to renewable power and European partnerships
Günay said Türkiye’s wind and solar energy resources could support its emergence as a supplier of green hydrogen to Europe. He also referred to efforts to translate Türkiye-Germany cooperation into commercial investments.
He identified the use of surplus renewable electricity to operate electrolyser systems as an important factor in green hydrogen production. Electrolysers use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen; when powered by renewable electricity, the hydrogen produced can be classified as renewable or green hydrogen, subject to the applicable certification rules.
Günay also pointed to flexible electricity tariffs, direct incentives and long-term purchase agreements as measures that could improve the competitiveness of Türkiye’s hydrogen industry.
These mechanisms are relevant to project economics because electricity costs are a major component of renewable hydrogen production expenses, while long-term offtake agreements can provide producers with greater certainty about future demand and revenue.
Türkiye’s hydrogen roadmap sets capacity targets
Türkiye already has a national Hydrogen Technologies Strategy and Roadmap. According to the International Energy Agency’s policy database, the roadmap sets targets for installed electrolyser capacity of 2 GW by 2030, 5 GW by 2035 and 70 GW by 2053. These are policy targets rather than evidence of capacity already installed.
The COP31 discussion placed these ambitions in the context of international supply chains and industrial applications. However, the statements reported from the panel did not identify specific investment amounts, project timelines, hydrogen supply contracts or new commercial agreements between Türkiye and Germany.
For Türkiye to expand its role in the European hydrogen market, renewable electricity availability will need to be matched with competitive production costs, domestic industrial demand, supporting infrastructure and reliable buyers. The panel’s discussion underscored the importance of addressing these elements alongside international cooperation.
Bioenergy Business Analysis
The discussion at COP31 points to two connected requirements for the development of Türkiye’s green hydrogen sector: building a domestic industrial market and establishing commercial links with potential international buyers.
Renewable electricity resources can provide a basis for electrolyser deployment, but resource availability alone does not establish a competitive hydrogen supply industry. Electricity pricing, incentives, infrastructure and long-term offtake arrangements will influence whether proposed projects can progress towards investment and operation.
Türkiye’s roadmap provides a long-term capacity framework, while the COP31 discussion indicates the policy and market conditions that participants consider necessary to support its implementation. The next indicators to watch will be project-level investment decisions, industrial offtake agreements and evidence of commercial Türkiye-Europe hydrogen partnerships.
