Türkiye plans $100 billion investment in power grids

ANKARA

Türkiye’s National Energy 2040 strategy envisages about $100 billion in investment in electricity transmission and distribution networks, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Oct. 26.

The strategy will be unveiled in Istanbul on Nov. 5, Bayraktar told an electricity distribution industry event in Ankara.

He said the spread of electric vehicles, greater use of electricity in industrial production, and growth in artificial intelligence and data centers would increase electricity demand and change consumption patterns. Expanding solar and wind capacity would also require networks to adapt.

“We cannot assess the energy transition solely in terms of investment in power plants,” Bayraktar said.

Transmission and distribution networks, storage capacity, digital technologies and system management capabilities needed to be developed together, he added.

Bayraktar also called for wider use of domestically developed software in electricity distribution systems and stronger protection against cyberattacks.

Electricity now accounts for 21 percent of Türkiye’s final energy consumption, up from 15 percent in 2002, he said. Its share has reached 30 percent in industry and 33 percent in buildings.

Greater electrification would help improve energy efficiency, expand the use of domestic and renewable resources, and reduce dependence on energy imports, Bayraktar said.

Strengthening electricity grids will be a priority on Türkiye’s agenda for COP31, the U.N. climate conference in Antalya on Nov. 9–20. Bayraktar said Ankara would seek greater international cooperation on modernizing distribution networks, integrating renewable energy and financing grid investment.