Turkey Sets Minimum Price For Solar Cell Imports

The Turkish government has set a minimum import price of $60/kg, above which solar cell imports will be subject to import duties, a move designed to protect domestic cell manufacturers.

A 4.2 MW rooftop PV system installed by IBC Solar in Turkey

The Turkish government has announced new regulations on the import of solar cells, which will come into effect within 30 days of the date of publication.

The country had previously stipulated in 2021 that import duties on solar modules must be calculated in kilograms, rather than square metres, as was the case under previous regulations. Under the government's new algorithm, the minimum price for imported solar cells will be $60/kg.

Hakki Karacaoglan, chief executive of German consultancy KRC Energy, said the new regulations favoured local manufacturers and could contribute to a decline in the share of imported cells in the Turkish PV market.

"But by the definition of the new regulation, $60/kg does not affect business at the moment, as the tariff on a kilo of cells works out to more than $60," he told reporters, "but if polysilicon and solar cell prices will fall as expected, or if the government will decide to raise the $60 threshold further, the situation could change. The situation could change."

If Turkish module manufacturers decide to import solar cells above the $60/kg limit, they will be affected by import duties.

Currently, two Turkish manufacturers also produce or plan to produce solar cells - Kalyon Solar Technologies in Ankara and Smart Solar Technologies in Izmir. kalyon Solar has received from the Turkish government 7.62 billion Turkish Lira ($410 million) in funding to build a 2 GW vertically integrated solar power plant, while Smart Solar Technologies has received 3.7 billion Turkish Lira for a 2 GW plant.