China, Türkiye have great potential to cooperate in clean energy: IEA chief

ISTANBUL, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol said on Tuesday that Türkiye will be able to meet its growing need for solar energy by carrying out cooperation with China.

In a video message sent to the Türkiye-China Business Conference held in Istanbul, Birol said given Türkiye's fast-growing large demand for clean energy, important cooperation can be developed between China and Türkiye.

"This cooperation can be expanded to many areas, from solar to digitalization to electric vehicles," he explained.

As a result of the industrial policies the Chinese government put in place years ago, China now dominates the clean energy sector, said Birol.

Today, 80 percent of the world's solar panels, 70 percent of wind turbines and one of every two electric cars are produced in China, he noted.

According to Birol, China has very high capacity, particularly in the solar energy sector, and after meeting its own needs, its surplus capacity could be exported.

"Developments in solar, wind and nuclear energy, and electric car production are continuing at a very fast pace, and the cost of clean energy is falling sharply," he said.

"When we look at this picture, in terms of manufacturing of this (clean energies), the champion is definitely China by a wide margin," Birol added.

The one-day Türkiye-China Business Conference, which was held for the first time, was organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye and the Turkish Industry and Business Association, in cooperation with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.