ANKARA, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has growing interest in renewable energy in recent years as a result of increasing government incentives to generate 30 percent of its entire electricity from renewable sources by 2023.

Last year was crucial for Turkey's strategic ambitions to reduce foreign dependence on energy sources, mainly hydrocarbons. Two major tenders of over 2 billion U.S. dollars have been allocated for the production of wind and solar energy.

In August 2017, a consortium composed of German giant Siemens and Turkish companies Kalyon and Turkerler beat seven other bidders to win a 1-billion-dollar wind power project to generate 1,000 megawatts (MW) wind capacity across Turkey, with an emphasis on the west coast.

The project alone, according to official figures, will increase Turkey's wind energy production by 17 percent when completed in 2019.

Turkey held a solar energy tender for 1.3 billion dollars in March, which was awarded to a joint venture of South Korean Hanhwa Q CELLS and Kalyon, to construct a 1,000-MW solar power plant in the central province of Konya.

The main purpose of such projects is to reach energy independence and reduce economic fallout of massive energy imports from countries such as Iran, Iraq and Russia in 2023, the centennial of the Republic of Turkey.

"In terms of renewable energy, 2017 was a key year for Turkey," said Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak, adding that the ministry is working on an offshore wind plant, which will be the world's largest. Detail of the ambitious projects is yet to be announced.

Turkey is heavily dependent on oil and gas imports affecting its trade balance and recent economic troubles. High inflation and unemployment also made things worse for the country that is headed for general elections on June 24.

In addition to renewable energy, Turkey plans to increase production of coal and is constructing with Russia its first nuclear power planned for the need of 80 million people.

As part of the ambition, the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry announced in February to issue two new tenders of renewable projects in August this year, one of which should consist of solar.

With the new tenders, Ankara aims to reach its goal of 5 gigawatts (GW) installed solar capacity by 2023.

Wind production, now around 5 GW, is targeted to quadruple to 20 GW by then. Solar energy, which contributes less than one percent to Turkey's production now, is targeted to rise tenfold to 5 GW.

Turkey, due to its natural resources, is in fact rich in renewable energy, especially wind, solar, geothermal and hydraulic energies. But up to now, it has only used or evaluated a small portion of its potential.

Turkey has the second largest solar energy potential in Europe with an average of 7.2 sunshine hours per day. Further, it has the highest geothermal potential in Europe, the seventh largest in the world.

A recent study showed that 83 percent of citizens support renewable energy plans over the government's coal push.

Conducted by climate information hub Iklim Haber and research company Komfa, the survey suggested that a majority of respondents worried about climate change and were pessimistic on the way their government would tackle it.

More than 70 percent of Turkey's electricity comes from fossil fuels, and coal will be used at least in the short term, much to the opposition of environmental organizations.

"We have to be realistic, for the moment renewable energy sources have big potential but cannot replace fossil fuels in the short term. But we are struggling to increase their part in the electricity demand which is growing every year," said a source in Energy and Natural Resources Ministry on the condition of anonymity.

The source also said that even though the first nuclear plant will be operational in 2021, Turkey's demand will not be met.

Two other plants will be set by 2030, with at least 60 billion dollars to be invested in renewable energy projects in the next decade, constituting a challenge in times of economic difficulties, the source said.

According to official data, Turkey has the highest growth rate of energy demand among all members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Domestic energy resources currently help meet only 26 percent of the country's energy needs, and the rest is satisfied from costly imports.

Meanwhile, International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol has lauded Turkey's efforts in the renewable energy sector.

"Turkey has taken the right steps in both solar and wind sector. Its steps are well in coordination with efforts taken around the rest of the world," he was quoted as saying in late May by the state-run Anadolu Agency.

Experts believe that increasing use of renewable energy in electricity would also support Turkey's longstanding goal of creating a natural gas hub within its borders.

Turkey has long aspired to act as a bridge for natural-gas-producing countries in the Middle East and import-dependent countries in Europe. It will also contribute to energy security in the region.