Türkiye will need at least $50 billion in investment in its electricity distribution networks over the next decade to cope with rising power demand and support the country’s energy transition, Barış Erdeniz, chairman of the Electricity Distribution Services Association (ELDER), has said.
Erdeniz said growing electricity consumption, renewable energy integration, electric vehicles, data centers, artificial intelligence applications, industrial electrification and digitalization are transforming distribution infrastructure into a strategic investment area.
Türkiye’s electricity consumption has increased by 50 percent over the past 12 years, reaching 361 terawatt-hours and is projected to rise to 510 terawatt-hours by 2035, according to Erdeniz.
Installed power capacity is also expected to reach 227 gigawatts, requiring around 104 gigawatts of additional capacity, he noted.
To meet this growth, the country will require major upgrades to its distribution infrastructure, he said, estimating investment needs of at least $50 billion over the next 10 years.
Erdeniz said electricity distribution companies are expected to invest a total of $22 billion during the 2026-2030 period, including both network investments and planned maintenance expenditures. He said the spending will focus on grid modernization, digitalization, cybersecurity, climate resilience and renewable energy integration.
He added that Türkiye’s distribution sector has contributed roughly $33 billion to the economy over the past 12 years, including privatization proceeds, while distribution companies invested nearly $20 billion during the same period.
