Turkish solar energy manufacturer Kalyon PV opened on Thursday a new facility in the capital Ankara, which will produce next-generation solar cells and panels using TOPCon Plus technology.
TOPCon Plus (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) is an advanced N-type solar cell technology offering higher efficiency and better performance than traditional PERC cells (high-efficiency silicon photovoltaic cells) by reducing electron recombination using an ultra-thin tunnel oxide layer.
The facility, which opened in Ankara, marks a significant step in Türkiye's renewable energy capabilities. The same company opened in 2023 a large solar power plant in the central province of Konya, dubbed Europe's largest.
The opening ceremony for the new solar facility was attended by high-level officials, including Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır.
With this new investment, Kalyon PV's total cell production capacity increased from 1 gigawatt (GW) to 2.1 gigawatts, the company said.
In a statement to Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), Kalyon recalled that it had earlier in 2025 disclosed plans about the project and that it “has been completed as planned, and the cell production line has been commissioned and production has commenced.”
“This investment will reinforce our company's commitment to innovation and sustainability, while also making significant contributions to increasing domestic production capacity and supporting the energy transition in our country,” it added.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Bayraktar said that the share of renewable energy in Türkiye's installed electricity capacity has risen to 63%.
He also mentioned that in March, a record was set with the highest ever renewable-sourced electricity production at 20 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh).
“In just 13 years, we reached nearly 26,478 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity in solar energy alone,” the minister said.
“By the end of this year, solar will surpass hydro and take the lead in total installed capacity. According to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IEA), we are in the Top 5 in Europe and rank 11th in the world in renewable energy installed capacity,” he added.
Bayraktar also touched upon the importance of Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA) tenders to achieve their goal in the renewables domain and suggested that they aimed to conclude this year’s tenders in September or October, before COP31.
“In addition to YEKA in the renewable energy field, we are developing large-scale projects with even more competitive prices through intergovernmental agreements. Within this framework, our intergovernmental agreement with Saudi Arabia will see the establishment of 1,000-megawatt solar power plants in Sivas and Karaman Taşeli during the first stage. The electricity produced from these plants will be purchased at the lowest price ever in Türkiye,” he suggested.
Cemal Kalyoncu, chairperson of the board of Kalyon Holding, stated that Kalyon PV is first in Europe and one of the few production centers in the world, suggesting that with the new facility, solar cells with TOPCon Plus technology in G12R size will be produced for the first time in Türkiye.
Kalyoncu emphasized that the new investments will provide cost advantages and increased performance in energy production.
“With this new investment of approximately $55 million, Kalyon PV's total domestic solar cell production capacity reaches 2.1 gigawatts,” he noted.
“As the Kalyon family, with our investments in the energy sector, we are realizing high value-added production in our country and continue to make strong contributions to the economy, employment, exports and the reduction of the current account deficit.”
