Master thesis in Sustainable Development 2021/7

Examensarbete i Hållbar utveckling

Smart Grids and Turkey: An Overview

of the Current Power System and
Smart Grid Development

Müge Keskin

DEPA RTMENT O F
EA RTH SCIENCE S
I N S T I T UT I O N EN FÖ R
G E O V E T EN S K A PE R
 Master thesis in Sustainable Development 2021/7
Examensarbete i Hållbar utveckling

Smart Grids and Turkey: An Overview

of the Current Power System and
Smart Grid Development

Müge Keskin

Supervisor: Mikael Höök

Subject Reviewer: Kjell Aleklett
Copyright © Müge Keskin and the Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University. Published at
Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University (www.geo.uu.se), Uppsala, 2021.
Contents
List of Figures ___________________________________________________________________ II

List of Tables ____________________________________________________________________ II

List of Acronyms _________________________________________________________________ iii

Abstract_________________________________________________________________________IV

Summary________________________________________________________________________V

1. Introduction _________________________________________________________________ 1

Aims and Objectives ______________________________________________________ 2

2 Background _________________________________________________________________ 4

Smart Grids _____________________________________________________________ 4

3 Methodology ________________________________________________________________ 5

Literature Review ________________________________________________________ 5

Secondary Quantitative Research ___________________________________________ 5

Secondary Qualitative Research ____________________________________________ 5

Content analysis__________________________________________________________ 6

Smart Grid Framework ___________________________________________________ 7

3.5.1 Energy Supply __________________________________________________________ 7
3.5.2 Transmission ___________________________________________________________ 8
3.5.3 Distribution ____________________________________________________________ 8
3.5.4 Communication Networks and ICT _________________________________________ 9
3.5.5 Prosumers _____________________________________________________________ 9
3.5.6 Management __________________________________________________________ 10

4 Results ____________________________________________________________________ 11

Turkey’s Current Power System Structure __________________________________ 11

4.1.1 Stakeholders of the Electrical Market System ________________________________ 12

Challenges of Turkey’s Current Power System _______________________________ 13

4.2.1 Power Outages and Blackouts _____________________________________________ 13
4.2.2 Illegal Electricity Loss Rate ______________________________________________ 13

I
 Progress So Far _________________________________________________________ 14
4.3.1 Turkey’s Energy Outlook ________________________________________________ 15
4.3.2 Introduction of Nuclear Power ____________________________________________ 18
4.3.3 Introduction of Prosumers to the Grid_______________________________________ 18
4.3.4 Introduction of Communication Networks ___________________________________ 19
4.3.5 HVDC Projects ________________________________________________________ 19
4.3.6 Electric Vehicles (EVs) and EV Infrastructure. _______________________________ 19

5 Turkey’s Smart Grid Future __________________________________________________ 21

Potential Stakeholders ___________________________________________________ 21

Future Steps to Achieve a Smarter Grid _____________________________________ 21

6 Discussion and Conclusion ____________________________________________________ 24

7 References _________________________________________________________________ 26

List of Figures
Fig. 1. Increase in Turkey’s Electricity Consumption and CO2 emissions between 1990-2018 .................. 1
Fig. 2. Increase in Total Primary Energy Supply and Total Primary Energy Consumption between 2008-
2018 in Turkey ................................................................................................................................................ 2
Fig. 3. Summary of a Smart Grid .................................................................................................................... 4
Fig. 4. Smart Grid Framework ........................................................................................................................ 7
Fig. 5. Structure of Turkey’s Power System ................................................................................................. 11
Fig. 6. Turkey's 21 Electricity Distribution Companies / Regions ............................................................... 11
Fig. 7. Stakeholders of the Current Turkish Power System .......................................................................... 12
Fig. 8. Turkey’s 21 Electricity Distribution Companies and Regions with the highest loss rates ................ 14
Fig. 9. Turkey’s Smart Grid Progress According to the Framework in Fig. 4 ............................................. 15
Fig. 10. Turkey's Electricity Production by Source in 2019 ......................................................................... 16
Fig. 11. Turkey’s Installed Capacity in 2019 ................................................................................................ 16
Fig. 12. Turkey’s Installed Capacity from Renewable Power Plants ........................................................... 17
Fig. 13. Turkey’s Potential Smart Grid Stakeholders ................................................................................... 21

List of Tables

Table 1 Key Recommendations for Turkey’s Future Smart Grid Development .................................. 23

II
List of Acronyms

BOT Built-Operate-Transfer
BP Beyond Petroleum PLC
DSI Demand Side Integration
DSM Demand Side Management
EBRD The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EC European Commission
EPDK Enerji Piyasası Düzenleme Kurumu (Energy Market Regulatory Authority)
ENTSO-E European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity
EPİAŞ Enerji Piyasaları İşletme Anonim Şirketi (Energy Market Operation Company)
EU European Union
Eurostat Statistical Office of the European Communities
EÜAŞ Elektrik Üretim Anonim Şirketi (Electricity Generation Company)
EV Electric Vehicle
EXIST Energy Exchange Istanbul
GIS Geographical Information System
GWh Gigawatt-hours
HV High-voltage
HVDC High-voltage Direct Current
ICE Internal Combustion Engine
ICT Information and Communication Technologies
IEA International Energy Agency
LV Low-voltage
MENR Republic of Turkey Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources
MFA Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NPP Nuclear Power Plant
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
PMU Phasor Measurement Units
R&D Research and Development
SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
TEDAŞ Türkiye Elektrik Dağıtım Anonim Şirketi (Turkish Electricity Distribution Company)
TEİAŞ Türkiye Elektrik İletim Anonim Şirketi (Turkish Electricity Transmission Company)
TurkStat Turkish Statistics Institution
TWh Terawatt-hours
UN United Nations
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
V2G Vehicle to Grid
YEKA Renewable Energy Resource Zones
YEKDEM Renewable Energy Support Scheme
WAN Wide Area Network

III
Smart Grids and Turkey: An Overview of the Current Power System
and Smart Grid Development

MÜGE KESKİN

Keskin, M., 2021: Smart Grids and Turkey: An Overview of the Current Power System and Smart Grid Development.
Master thesis in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University, No. 2021/7, 34 pp, 15 ECTS/hp

Abstract:

Successful integration of the smart grids is crucial for ensuring the efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability of future
power systems. With a 46.53% increase in total primary energy supply between 2008 and 2018 (IEA, 2020a), Turkey
has the fastest-growing energy market within OECD countries (Erdin and Ozkaya, 2019). Though, Turkey’s current
electrical grid faces many challenges; such as high loss rates from the transmission and distribution lines (Damar, 2016;
Düzgün, 2018; IBRD/The World Bank, 2016; TEİAŞ, 2019), frequent power outages (Guner and Ozdemir, 2011;
Öztürk, 2017; Yanılmaz, 2016) and several incidents of large-scale blackouts (OECD/IEA, 2016; Project Group Turkey,
2015). Smart grid technologies can address Turkey’s power system’s challenges with a holistic approach, as the smart
grid does not have a strict definition yet but has distinctive characteristics. This paper provides an overview of Turkey’s
current electric power system’s challenges while analyzing Turkey’s progress up to the present day towards the smart
grid transition. Also, in order to summarize fundamental smart grid technologies globally, a smart grid framework was
designed. Founded upon the framework; Turkey’s previous actions for its power system development were assessed
from the smart grid perspective, and further steps were proposed to accomplish a successful smart grid transition.
Country-specific remarks regarding the electrical grid were highlighted, such as the risk of terrorism, high seismic
activity in the region, and emerging nuclear power in the country. As a result, it is concluded that Turkey has initiated
the process towards the smart grid transition not only to achieve a “smart grid ideal” but mainly to meet its growing
energy demands. Furthermore, it is also concluded that if the smart grid technologies’ scope could be extended
throughout the country, Turkey would overcome the challenges with its power system in short to medium-term.

Keywords: Smart Grid, Turkey, Power System, Electrical Grid, Sustainable Development

Müge Keskin, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE- 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden

IV
Smart Grids and Turkey: An Overview of the Current Power System
and Smart Grid Development

MÜGE KESKİN

Keskin, M., 2021: Smart Grids and Turkey: An Overview of the Current Power System and Smart Grid Development.
Master thesis in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University, No. 2021/7, 34 pp, 15 ECTS/hp

Summary:

As the rapidly growing world population shifts into cities, increasing energy demand raises global concerns. Two-thirds
of the world’s population is expected to live in cities in 2050, consuming more than 70% of global energy production
(European Commission, 2020). In a setting like this, it is inevitable to search for future solutions that can address the
dilemma of growth, development, and the demands that are already raising concerns about the sustainability of the
global agendas. Since the grid we know was invented approximately a hundred years ago (Safiuddin, 2013), it is no
longer suitable for modern-day challenges; nevertheless, the smart grid can address these challenges with a holistic
approach. The concept of smart grid paves the way into a more resilient, efficient, decentralized electric power system
that can help ensure sustainable development of smart cities. With its electricity production %43,5 from renewables in
2019 (TEİAŞ, 2019, p. 39), Turkey is exploring smart grid utilization potential since 2015 (AF-Mercados EMI, n.d.).
A successful smart grid transition can address Turkey’s main problems in its power system, which are defined in this
paper as power outages and blackouts; and power loss rates due to power theft. In this paper, Turkey’s electric power
system’s progress is reviewed from a smart grid perspective, and further recommendations for a successful transition
were identified. It is concluded that Turkey is on a promising pathway to implement key features of a next-generation
grid; however, it is also reasoned that there is still more progress to be made, especially to tackle its previously listed
problems in the current power system.

Keywords: Smart Grid, Turkey, Power System, Electrical Grid, Sustainable Development

Müge Keskin, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE- 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden

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1 Introduction
Two-thirds of the world’s population is expected to live in cities in 2050, consuming more than 70% of
global energy production (European Commission [EC], 2020; United Nations [UN], 2018). On the other
hand, the European Union (EU) has set a target to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 by 80%
comparing to 1990 levels (Sun et al., 2016), as well as the Paris Climate Agreement has set the goal to limit
global warming by keeping the global temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius below pre-industrial levels by United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (2020). In order to meet global agendas and
goals on the environment, while meeting the growing energy demands of the cities, more efficient use of
electric power systems is required. Smart grid technologies are meeting the challenges of the exponential
growth of cities worldwide with increased resiliency and efficiency compared to the conventional grids.
Turkey is a growing economy with a dynamic population of 83 million (Turkey Statistical Institute
[TurkStat], 2020), 92.8% of which is reported to live in cities in 2019 (TurkStat, 2019); consequently,
increasing the significance of improving the electric power infrastructure to provide the growing population’s
needs in its cities. Moreover, as one of the founding members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD), United Nations (UN), and a member nation of the G20 and NATO (OECD and
IEA, 2016; Rep. of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs [MFA], 2011; UN, 2020), Turkey has signed the
Paris Climate Agreement (Demirtas, 2020). While interrelating with international energy agendas, Turkey’s
potential integration with smart grid technologies would have an influence on the interconnected countries
as well. Turkey’s electrical grid is interconnected with the Continental European System (OECD and IEA,
2016; Türkiye Elektrik İletim Anonim Şirketi [TEİAŞ], 2020) and Turkey is an exporter of electricity to its
neighboring countries. In 2018, 3,111.9 GWh of power was exported to Georgia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Syria
(TEİAŞ, n.d.). Likewise, in a “strategic location at the intersection of Europe and Asia” (Mountcastle 2002,
cited Blank et al., 2002), Turkey plays an essential role in ensuring energy security and providing access to
energy routes in its region. Due to its geographical position between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia,
Turkey has the convenience to access most of the world’s oil and gas producers.
Turkey has the fastest-growing energy market within OECD countries (Erdin and Ozkaya, 2019). The
Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MENR) predicts that Turkey’s current electricity demand will
reach 581 TWh in 2030, meaning a tripling of the current demand (OECD and IEA, 2016). Thus far, Turkey
has increased its final electricity consumption by 443.65% and its carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions by
374.13% since 1990 (IEA, 2020a), as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Increase in Turkey’s Electricity Consumption and CO2 emissions between 1990-2018 (Data from IEA, 2020b)

1
The primary energy consumption is observed to be in a steady state in most of the developed countries (BP,
2019, p.8); however, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), between 2008 and 2018, Turkey’s
total primary energy supply increased by 46.53% (2020a), while the total primary energy consumption
increased by 52.28% (BP, 2019) (Fig. 2.).

53

52

51
Increase between 2008-2018 (%)

50

49

48
52.28
47

46

45
46.53
44

43
Total Primary Energy Supply Total Primary Energy Consumption

Fig. 2. Increase in Total Primary Energy Supply and Total Primary Energy Consumption between 2008-2018 in Turkey
(Data from IEA, 2020a; BP, 2019)

Today, Turkey is tackling critical problems in its current electric power system; such as high loss rates from
the transmission and distribution lines (Damar, 2016; Düzgün, 2018; The World Bank, 2016; TEİAŞ, 2019),
frequent power outages (Guner and Ozdemir, 2011; Öztürk, 2017; Yanılmaz, 2016) and several incidents of
blackouts (OECD and IEA, 2016; Project Group Turkey, 2015). Therefore, Turkey is required to advance
its existing electric power system to overcome these challenges. Since Turkey is in a significant position to
become the energy hub of its region (Kenderline, 2018) and is interconnected with the ENTSO-E Continental
Europe electrical grid (OECD and IEA, 2016; TEİAŞ, 2020), it would be influential to ensure a successful
transition of its traditional grid. Smart grid technologies can address the challenges in Turkey’s power system
with a holistic approach, as the smart grid does not have a strict definition yet but has distinctive
characteristics. To define those characteristics, the Smart Grid Framework was prepared for this paper (p. 9)
and used as a method to evaluate Turkey’s situation with smart grids.
There are only a few studies in the literature on Turkey’s smart grid progress due to its relatively new
introduction to the policy. So far, the government policies were focused on increasing installed capacity,
thus the power supply, while decreasing dependency on imported resources such as natural gas (MENR,
2019). Therefore, within this thesis’s scope, Turkey’s progress in power system development until the
present day was analyzed from the smart grid perspective according to the smart grid framework that has
been created in this thesis.

Aims and Objectives

The current conditions of Turkey’s power system have not been widely reported from the smart grid
perspective. This thesis aims to explore how Turkey and its power system will benefit from the smart grid

2
implementation while determining current challenges with its existing conventional grid. The thesis also
aims to identify Turkey’s smart grid progress so far and discuss its possible future progress.
The objective of this thesis is to analyze current Turkey’s power system, including energy production,
transmission, and distribution data; therefore, assess the problems of the power system by comparing
Turkey’s data with EU and other OECD countries’ data. Also, to summarize fundamental smart grid
technologies globally and design a smart grid transition framework that Turkey can follow for its future
smart grid development. One other objective is to conclude Turkey’s previous steps towards a more
intelligent grid and propose further steps to accomplish a successful smart grid transition.

3
2 Background

2.1 Smart Grids

Even though there are 770 million people without access to electricity in 2019 (IEA, 2020), the current
electrical grid is expanding in size and capacity throughout the world since the first long-distance
transmission line was built in 1896 US (Safiuddin, 2013). However, since it was built in the late 1800s, the
current electrical grid lacks features that could address modern-day challenges. Some of the electrical
grid’s key elements that need improvement can be listed as behavior prediction, self-restoration, consumer
participation, resiliency, and quick response (Gasparin, 2013; Momoh, 2012; United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe [UNECE], 2015), which can be improved by conversion to the smart grid. The
smart grid allows two-way power and information flow (EC and United States Department of Energy [US
DOE], 2012; Siozios et al., 2019); thereby, power generation, distribution, transmission, and retailing can
be optimized according to real-time changes. Smart grid applications can provide a faster real-time
response by automated remote monitoring and control, therefore enable more efficient integration of
renewable energy (Ekanayake et al., 2012; Momoh, 2012; Sun et al., 2016; UNECE, 2015) while ensuring
energy security (Gasparin, 2013; Siozios et al., 2019). The smart grid also allows active consumer
participation, including smart appliances, electric vehicles, solar roofs; hence, it upgrades the centralized
electrical grid to a decentralized efficient grid with distributed generation (Gasparin, 2013; Sun et al.,
2016).

Fig. 3. Summary of a Smart Grid

A smart grid must be considered as a long-term transformation instead of a destination with strict definitions.
The concept of the smart grid is evolving and expanding its boundaries worldwide, as conventional power
systems are being transformed to fulfill modern-day requirements. Each transformation may require unique
approaches and different levels of starting points. Developed countries with relatively more advanced electric
power networks may require different efforts than developing countries, such as Turkey, with already
complex and questionable electrical grid infrastructure as the starting point.

4
3 Methodology
This chapter outlines the research methodology used in this paper, including a literature review, secondary
research and content analysis. As well, the Smart Grid Framework, which has been the guideline for
evaluating Turkey’s current and future situation in regard to smart grids, is outlined in this chapter.

3.1 Literature Review

To be able to address the aim of the thesis, existing literature carries essential value to “advance collective
understanding” (Boote and Peile, 2005). Also, research on Turkey’s future power system lacks in
international sources. Therefore, it could be found very beneficial to transfer the knowledge from Turkish
national sources, such as annual reports of governmental entities in the energy sector, to the international
literature. For this purpose, the literature on the Smart Grid and smart grid applications was initially searched
and reviewed. Then, the statistics regarding Turkey’s energy demand, production, transmission and
distribution were the focus of the literature review. A comprehensive search of governmental organizations
and non-profit organizations reports, journal articles, conference papers, research papers, books were
completed for smart grids, Turkey’s energy outlook, and the Turkish electric power system. The
governmental reports and datasets were found on Turkey’s main energy-related governmental entities’
websites, while the smart grid aspect was researched through scientific peer-reviewed journal articles,
research papers and books.

3.2 Secondary Quantitative Research

Secondary research was conducted to gather existing data to “investigate new or additional research
questions” (Heaton, 2008) and to “verify the findings of previous research” (p.35). Strategic plans and annual
reports from governmental resources enabled access to secondary quantitative data. This method ensured the
quality and reliability of the information and data.
Existing research regarding the Turkish power system was reviewed both from in English and Turkish
resources, mainly focusing on the features of the conventional grid. Data was also collected from existing
databases of governmental institutions and publications of the intergovernmental and international non-profit
organizations and the energy and ICT sector professionals. In this research, content from profit-oriented
institutions and content with advertising purposes were ignored so that quality assurance of all content was
finalized.
Secondary quantitative research also enabled excluding invalid or outdated existing data and supported
secondary qualitative research to aggregate all the information about the current power system and Turkey’s
smart grid policies. Successful smart grid transition indicators, specifically for Turkey’s case, were not found
to be defined in previous studies and are yet to be found as secondary qualitative information either. Thus,
secondary quantitative research made it possible to define the indicators and a smart grid framework.

3.3 Secondary Qualitative Research

The smart grid sector’s current situation, including its diverse sub-technologies such as smart metering,
communication, and management systems, EV and consumer integration, was the secondary qualitative
research’s initial focus. Then, the research scope was narrowed down by focusing on Turkey’s smart grid
policies and actions.

5
The collected data and information from secondary research was used within the content analysis method to
design the following:
• Stakeholder Analysis of the current power system
• Stakeholder Analysis of the future power system
• Smart Grid Framework
• Turkey’s Smart Grid Progress
• Key Recommendations for Turkey’s Future Smart Grid
Documents, project reports, journal articles, and books from governmental institutions, intergovernmental
and non-profit organizations, and the professionals in the energy and ICT sector were used as the resources
for the purpose of qualitative research.

3.4 Content analysis

Qualitative data that had been collected in the secondary research was processed through steps of Content
Analysis Method, which defined as “the use of replicable and valid method for making specific inferences
from text to other states or properties of its source” (Krippendorfft, cited in Mayring, 2000). The content
analysis was completed manually, without using any software, which can be considered as a time-consuming
decision. Steps of the Content Analysis Method are listed and briefly described as following:
A. Data collection and familiarization
Literature review and secondary research that have been conducted as the first steps of the research can also
be shown as the first step of this content analysis method. The additional materials involved as a source for
the data were online webinar sessions, online video content and texts of publications from the sector;
however, they were not included in this paper since they were merely used to get familiar with smart grids.
B. Generating codes
Chosen contents were highlighted, and these highlights were coded according to their content’s
intercorrelation by selecting keywords (therefore categorizing the content), such as “conventional power
system” and “smart grid”, to differentiate the information. Some other codes used also helped define sub-
technologies within power systems and smart grids, such as “communication networks”, “nuclear”,
“production”; thereby filtering the content. The codes were explicitly chosen for this thesis to differentiate
and tag the content of the data.
C. Reviewing and reduction
Codes were organized with an overall review to make a clearer way of finding and using the relevant data.
Also, the content of the codes caused elimination of the codes in some cases; for example, when the content
was found outdated. Codes were double checked in this step as the last revisions were made. The codes that
founded unnecessary were removed or merged with other codes. Not all codes could make it to the next step,
for example, if they were used rarely.
D. Analyze
Analysis of the content was completed with the help of the coding and the codes themselves were also very
crucial definitions to portrait characteristics of each application. The analysis also resulted in creating the
smart grid framework and progress visualization. For instance, as a result of content analysis, it is found that
SCADA is better serving the electricity distribution than serving the communication networks.
Consequently, even though SCADA is an ICT software for remote monitoring and controlling, it is situated
in the distribution side of the framework (Fig. 4). Overall, the content analysis resulted in the generation of
the report.

6
3.5 Smart Grid Framework
Replacing aging power system equipment is essential to enhance a conventional grid; however, solely
changing old equipment would not result in a smart grid conversion, as there are key technologies that make
the smart grid distinctive from a conventional grid. Distributed energy resources, peak-power reduction,
remote monitoring and control -including sensors, measurement, and automation- attributes the smart grid
(Ekanayake et al., 2012; Budka et al., 2014). For this paper, a Smart Grid Framework was prepared (Fig. 4)
as a result of the resources that have been referenced in this thesis. The results on Turkey’s past and future
regarding the smart grid, was based on this framework. In this chapter, the sub-categories that were selected
for the framework were reviewed.

SMART
SMART GRID
GRID • Breaking down monopolies
• Policy and Education
• Cybersecurity and Data Management
Intelligent Transmission
Intelligent Energy Supply

Intelligent Distribution

•Renewable •Remote •Remote

Communication Networks & ICT •Broadband •V2G

Prosumers
Production monitor & monitor & Infrastructure Integration
Prioritized control control
•GIS •Homes
•Energy •New HV •New LV
Imports Equipment Equipment •Industry
Minimised
•HVDC •Smart
•Efficient Transmission metering
Heating and
Cooling

•Energy
Storage

Fig. 4. Smart Grid Framework

3.5.1 Energy Supply

• Renewable Production Prioritized: Distributed renewable energy resource deployment enables
decentralized, sustainable grids. While it is challenging to sustain and prioritize renewable energy
production with conventional grids due to their incapability to supply stable energy, renewable
energy can be prioritized in a smart grid with Demand Side Integration (DSI) through ICTs, which
allows grid operators to achieve better planning and balancing. Growth in renewable energy installed
capacity would be a key initial step for smart grid development.
• Energy Imports Minimised: Using local resources reduces transport emissions, losses, and costs.
Also, reducing energy imports could accelerate renewable energy, as “renewable energy reduces
dependency on energy import from other countries and improves economic growth.” (Islam et al.
2014).

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 • Efficient Heating and Cooling: Cooling and Heating needs drastically change the demand and the
peak load, even causing power outages and blackouts in the winter months. Even though heating and
cooling could be considered as a feature of smart cities, they indirectly affect the grid side as well.
As an example, natural gas can be used for heating, cooling, cooking and electricity production,
which can eventually cause an exceeding of the natural gas supply capacity. This could cause a
natural gas shortage for the power plants, which in Turkey’s case is responsible for 30% of the
installed capacity, possibly disturbing the continuous production and increasing the risk of power
outages due to load imbalances.
• Energy Storage: Energy storage is very fundamental to ensure successful renewable energy
integration as renewable power plants cannot provide stable energy. Pumped-storage hydropower,
batteries, compressed air, supercapacitors, and flywheels are some storage methods to save
electricity production for later use (Momoh, 2012) to increase the amount of total energy to be
utilized and to stabilize the load for the grid. Investments to encourage Research and Development
(R&D) works of the academia and businesses should be increased as the energy storage sector needs
creative and innovative solutions.

3.5.2 Transmission
• Remote monitor & control: Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) and Phasor
Measurement Units (PMU) can be given as examples of remote monitoring and control systems,
enabling fast response and self-healing (UNECE, 2015). Overloading the system or any type of
operation changes can be monitored, supervised, and remotely responded to with SCADA while
PMU provides necessary measurement data (Ekanayake et al., 2012). This way, the grid attains its
restoration and self-healing function, which increases resiliency and efficiency (Momoh, p 14).
• New HV Equipment: Power systems consist of several power devices, such as transmission and
distribution lines, relays, meters, power switches, power breakers (Colak et al., 2020), all of which
are critical to facilitate uninterruptible power supply. Countries must renovate their old power
systems to ensure a high-quality transition to the smart grid. Renovated, reliable, up to date high-
voltage (HV) equipment, including Transmission Lines, ensures efficient and reliable electricity
transmission. It also reduces the need for maintenance, directly affecting power outages and the
power transmission’s overall quality. As the transmission side of the power system becomes
technologically compatible, the budget and the work-force in this regard could be utilized in other
tasks within the sector.
• HVDC Transmission: High-voltage direct current (HVDC) can transfer bulk generation with less
electrical losses in very long distances (ABB Technology Limited, 2014). China can be defined as a
pioneer in HVDC transmission due to its early “applications” (Ricci et al., 2012).

3.5.3 Distribution
• Remote monitor & control: The same information given in the Transmission section also applies to
remote monitoring and control on the distribution side. SCADA and PMU enable remote monitoring
and control distribution systems. Changes in the operation, such as power theft from the distribution
lines, can be monitored and automatically responded to by SCADA while PMU provides necessary
measurement data (Ekanayake et al., 2012).
• New LV Equipment: Renovated, Reliable, new-tech LV Equipment, including Distribution Lines,
ensures efficient and reliable electricity distribution. It also reduces the need for maintenance, which
decreases the number of planned -or in developing world unplanned- power outages, thereby
increasing the overall quality of the power supply.

8
 • Smart metering: Smart meters are being used to supply real-time consumption information, which
can give consumers more control over their consumption and help decrease their costs (Siozios et
al., 2019), while their consumption data helps to forecast demand and optimize decision making
(Stimmel, 2015). Directly accessing the consumer demand knowledge beforehand supports
supplying not more and not less than what is needed.

3.5.4 Communication Networks and ICT

Communication networks must “support traffic for all applications” (Budka et al., 2014). Even CCTV
cameras for physical security would contribute to the traffic, alongside other ICT applications (p.289). These
ICT applications, such as smart metering, remote monitoring, and control systems- including DSM, sensors,
weather forecast, software like SCADA- could be listed in this section; however, those would be initially
more functional when serving distribution and transmission units. As well, V2G solution as an ICT would
be more beneficial on the consumer side to convert consumers into prosumers, thus listed in the prosumer
section. Nonetheless, GIS and broadband infrastructure could be highly beneficial not just for smart grid
development but also in many other development areas.
• Broadband Infrastructure: ICT applications, such as the monitor and control services mentioned
above, require the internet to connect the physical layer of information to the application layer of
information through any distance (Ekanayake et al., 2012, p.40). Wide Area Network (WAN) serves
the smart grid as the interconnection of routers, enabled by the deployment of broadband
infrastructure (Budka et al., 2014). Investing in fiber-optic and mobile broadband infrastructure can
result in satisfactory internet access, ensuring high-quality communication systems (Simoes et al.,
2011).
• GIS: Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can increase reliability by visualizing all assets
(Tosun et al.). This could bring numerous benefits, some of which are related to the grid
functionality. In that sense, GIS could “prevent power theft” (Momoh, 2012, p. 23) in the developing
world and help assess renewable energy potential. GIS can be used to conduct site-planning for
renewable energy facilities and to estimate energy demand (Resch et al. 2014).

3.5.5 Prosumers
• V2G Integration: With vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, electric vehicle (EV) batteries can act as
storage and help regulate unstable renewable energy production by flattening the load curve
(Gasparin, 2013, p. 35; Momoh, 2012, p. 151). Especially in the countries with electricity production
from fossil fuels, solely increasing the number of EV’s would not result in a decrease of CO2
emissions from the transportation sector. Using EV batteries to feed the grid is expected to
result/represent…
• Homes & Industry: With smart metering, consumers can have a clear understanding and control over
their consumption and get encouraged to shift their consumption to off-peak hours (OECD 2012).
Also, roofs with solar PV installations and houses with smart appliances can provide electricity with
intelligent peak demand management and become part of the power generation (Gasparin, 2013, p.
35). To increase individual participation in production side with sell-back-to-grid schemes could
transform consumers into prosumers, resulting in a more decentralized, efficient and participatory
grid. Incentives from the governments, supported with the policies, could encourage such scenarios;
however, the grid must be advanced with other smart grid technologies priorly to ensure the grid
reliability.

9
3.5.6 Management
• Breaking down monopolies: Governmental monopolies in the generation, transmission, distribution,
and retail decreases market pressure and, consequently, decreases the competition (Gopstein et al.,
2020, p. 154). This could result
• Policy and Education: It is vital to encourage progress towards the smart grid through policy.
Policymakers are the key influencers to attract investment and encourage research activities.
Knowledge and motivation of all stakeholders must be ensured to achieve a smarter grid.
• Cybersecurity and Data Management: A large number of connections through the internet can be
challenging. Massive amounts of data growth require proper storage and management, thereby
reducing vulnerability to cyberattacks (Budka et al., 2014). Blockchain might be a very promising
technology to address cybersecurity challenges (Mollah et al., 2020; Musleh et al., 2019);
nevertheless, cybersecurity methods are out of this paper’s scope.

10
4 Results

4.1 Turkey’s Current Power System Structure

Turkey’s existing power system is based on four primary elements: production, transmission, distribution,
and retail, as seen in Fig. 5, each of them consisting of different actors.

PRODUCTION TRANSMISSION DISTRIBUTION RETAIL

EÜAŞ EPİAŞ
Private companies TEİAŞ 21 companies
Private companies
BOT

Fig. 5. Structure of Turkey’s Power System

Public company EÜAŞ (Elektrik Üretim Anonim Şirketi - The Electricity Generation Company) is
responsible for 15.9% of the total electricity production (TKSB, 2018, p.19), mostly for hydro and coal
powerplants; since the privatization of the energy sector contributed private companies to invest in both
renewable and non-renewable powerplants in Turkey heavily (OECD and IEA, 2016, p. 27). It is also
possible to find power plants that are Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects in Turkey’s electricity
generation. Within BOT projects, the plant’s construction and operation are the private company’s
responsibilities for an agreed term; then, the plant operation is transferred to a public institution (TKSB,
2018, p.18).

Transmitting electricity from power plants with the high-voltage transmission network is being done by
TEİAŞ (Türkiye Elektrik İletim Anonim Şirketi - Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation), which is
another public company responsible for the transmission of electricity, including international connections,
load dispatch, maintenance, and installation (TEİAŞ, 2020)—thus making TEİAŞ an important actor for
smart grid transition.
After being included in the privatization scope, electricity distribution and sales activities were divided into
distribution regions with 21 private distribution companies (Fig. 6) (Türkiye Elektrik Dağıtım Anonim
Şirketi [TEDAŞ], 2015).

Fig. 6. Turkey's 21 Electricity Distribution Companies / Regions

11
 TEDAŞ, the Turkish Electricity Distribution Company, which used to be the governmental body responsible
for all distribution works, now only acts as a supervisory institution inspecting and coordinating the
distribution companies (TEDAŞ, 2015).
Turkey’s energy market is liberalized and regulated. Established in 2016, Energy Exchange Istanbul (EXIST)
is Turkey’s electricity spot market, including day-ahead and intraday markets; it publishes real-time
electricity prices on EPİAŞ’s [Enerji Piyasaları İşletme Anonim Şirketi - Energy Markets Operating
Corporation] website (2016).
A public corporation EMRA (The Energy Market Regulatory Authority), is an autonomous energy market
regulator and it has the authority to grant licenses for energy production and fine the market players if needed
(Electricity Market Law 6446, 2013). The introduction of the spot market was a indirect progress from the
smart grid aspect as energy markets introduce several benefits that is discussed in Mendes et al.’s paper
(2018).

4.1.1 Stakeholders of the Electrical Market System

There are various definitions of a stakeholder, such as Freeman and Reed’s definition (1983): “an individual
or group who can affect the achievement of an organization’s objectives or who is affected by the
achievement of an organization’s objectives”. From the power system’s perspective, a functioning power
system itself can be considered as the organization, and the groups and the individuals who influence the
power system can be selected as the stakeholders.
Implementing Smart Grid systems to replace conventional grids, full cooperation between various
stakeholders is needed. Consumers are the key external stakeholders; however, other stakeholders can be
public stakeholders, such as energy transmission operators and permit issuing governmental agencies. ICT
service providers, including broadband connection, can also be listed as private stakeholders; however, this
is only applicable for smart grid stakeholders. In order to analyze the stakeholders for the Smart Grid,
Turkey’s current power system structure had needed to be reviewed.

EÜAŞ
External Stakeholders
Public Stakeholders

TEİAŞ
TEDAŞ Employees including sub-
contractors**
EMRA
Suppliers
EPİAŞ
Ministries*
Private Stakeholders

Powerplant owning companies

Consumers (Household)
21 distribution companies
Consumers

Consumers (Industry)
Retailing companies

*Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation

** Including repair and maintenance works, construction and installation works, meter reading
and call center operations, cleaning and security services.
Fig. 7. Stakeholders of the Current Turkish Power System

12
Turkey’s energy sector is a free market for all investors, making private companies critical stakeholders for
the current electrical grid and future smart grid. Public institutions such as EÜAŞ, TEİAŞ, TEDAŞ, EPİAŞ,
EMRA, and the ministries are stakeholders as well, with the employees and the suppliers for those
institutions. Private stakeholders can be listed as power producing companies, retail companies, each of the
21 distribution companies, and the employees and suppliers for these private entities. The current power
system allows consumers to participate in the grid by selling back their electricity; however, this is hardly
possible for all consumers; therefore, consumers are considered stakeholders by solely consuming.

4.2 Challenges of Turkey’s Current Power System

An assessment of Turkey’s current and future smart grid progress would be only achievable by determining
the current problems of the grid. Countries of the developing world face problems as the energy demands
grow and renewable energy penetrates power systems. The content analysis identifies the most impactful
problems of Turkey’s electric power system: frequent power outages, large-scale blackouts, old equipment
in the current power system, and high loss rates in the transmission and distribution lines due to power theft.

4.2.1 Power Outages and Blackouts

Blackouts or power outages decrease people’s life quality and disturb the economy (Colak et al., 2020). The
reasons for the outages can be planned, such as repair, maintenance and installation works or forced power
outages, which are common in Turkey. Total power outages, mostly forced, reached 129.9 hours per capita
in the Vangölü distribution region in 2015 (The World Bank, 2016, p. 74). Between 2010 and 2016, the total
hours of planned outages in Europe was 34 hours on average and for forced outages, it was 9 hours on
average (EC, 2018, p. 17).
Turkey has also undergone several major blackouts. In 2015, Turkey’s electrical grid had to disconnect from
the ENTSO-E grid due to a load imbalance, which led the country to a country-wide blackout for several
hours (Project Group Turkey, 2015). It was the second-largest disturbance after the 1999 Izmit earthquake,
which also led to a large-scale blackout in 1999 (p.11). According to the European Commission’s report
(2018), 20 large-scale blackouts occurred in Europe between 2010 and 2015, mostly because of weather
conditions (p.91). The weather-related conditions were also stated as the reason for load imbalances in
Project Group Turkey’s report (2015), such as “spring water regime” for hydropower (p.7). Increased natural
gas usage for heating combined with energy production from natural gas eventually exceeding natural gas
supply can also be described as another weather-related condition that can potentially cause load imbalances
(The World Bank, 2015).
Overall, the two significant blackouts in the grid, combined with the regular power outages, prove that
Turkey’s conventional grid’s resiliency is very inadequate, and the grid is very vulnerable to load imbalances.
Smart grid applications allow monitoring and help grid officials forecast similar events in order to be able to
take early actions. Some of the recommendations mentioned in the Blackout Report by Project Group Turkey
in 2015 are to inspect the number of 400 kV transmission lines that are put out of service simultaneously,
improve overload monitoring, and replace analog relays in the 400 kV transmission lines (p.45). Some of
these could have been easily prevented by merely implementing SCADA comprehensive enough to cover
both East and West sides of the transmission corridor.

4.2.2 Illegal Electricity Loss Rate

One of the biggest problems Turkey’s electric power network is facing is the high loss rates. In 2019, Turkey
lost 5.6 TWh of its electricity from its transmission and distribution lines (TEİAŞ, 2019). Losses in
transmission and distribution lines can be technical or non-technical, and non-technical indicates illegal use
of the electricity (Düzgün, 2018). The main methods to steal electricity from the transmission and distribution

13
lines are illegal cabling or cable extending and meter distorting (p.3). The motivation behind the illegal use
of electricity can vary; however, this paper only focuses on grid’s technical aspect.
When the data from 21 distribution companies are analyzed, it is self-evident to detect the Eastern side of
the distribution regions have the most prominent loss rates, up to 75% of the total electricity in Dicle Region
(Damar, 2016; EPDK, 2010; The World Bank, 2016; TEDAŞ, 2018). It is more than double the EU’s average
loss rate in distribution (Düzgün, 2018; European Commission, 2018). Even though the initial idea of the
privatization of electricity distribution was to decrease loss (EPDK, 2010, p. 103), Turkey’s total loss-theft
ratio in the distribution level is up to 20% of its total electricity production (EPDK, 2020 p. 104: TEDAŞ,
2018).

Fig. 8. Turkey’s 21 Electricity Distribution Companies and Regions with the highest loss rates (Data from TEDAS,
2018; EPDK, 2010; Damar, 2016; The World Bank, 2016; EPDK, 2020)

4.3 Progress So Far

Turkey’s smart grid efforts were initiated in 2014 and continued in 2016 by starting Turkey Smart Grid 2023
Project, called TSG 2023, in order to create a pathway for smart grid vision for 2035 (AF Mercados EMI,
n.d., p. 10). In 2019, an expression of interest was published by The World Bank on behalf of the Republic
of Turkey to procure “consultancy services to identify future smart grid options and roadmap for TEIAS
transmission network” (The World Bank Group, 2019). These could be interpreted as Turkey is working on
facilitating the smart grid transition. Distribution companies are also separately working on their
digitalization process, including integrating SCADA, GIS, and automated meter reading systems (AMR)
(Colak et al., 2014). However, it is evaluated that Turkey is progressing towards its future with a smarter
grid through the decisions that are not directly aiming at smart grids. Turkey is developing its energy sector
to meet increasing energy demands and reduce dependency on imported resources (MENR, 2020), thereby
unintentionally moving towards a smarter grid.
In the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2017-2023, smart cities and smart grids are mentioned as one
of the goals until 2023; however, only smart meters and “regulation of legislation” are specified as tasks
(MENR, 2017, p.3). In sum, any roadmap or strategy from the governmental sources targeting specifically
the smart grids is not yet to be found. Therefore, in this chapter of the thesis, previous energy reforms and
efforts to meet growing energy demands are analyzed from a smart grid perspective. As shown in Fig. 9,

14
Turkey’s Smart Grid Progress was summarized according to the Framework shown in Fig. 4. The
abbreviation “IP” indicates that Turkey is operating on the respective development area, and the abbreviation
“NS” indicates the works on the respective development area have not been started yet.

Fig. 9. Turkey’s Smart Grid Progress According to the Framework in Fig. 4

4.3.1 Turkey’s Energy Outlook

In 2019, a high percentage of the gross electricity production was provided from renewable resources,
making Turkey above the EU-27 average (Eurostat, 2020). Also, in 2019, hydroelectric power plants
provided 30.2% of Turkey’s licensed electricity production, while coal-fired power plants that are only using
imported coal provided 20.5%; natural gas-fired power plants provided 19.2%, coal-fired power plants that
are solely using national coal reserves (mostly lignite) 15.9%, wind turbines 7.4%, and geothermal power
plants provided 3% (EPDK, 2020). The electricity generation by source in 2019 can be seen in Fig. 10 and
Fig. 11.

15
Fig. 10. Turkey's Electricity Production by Source in 2019 (Data from EPDK, 2020)

Fig. 11. Turkey’s Installed Capacity in 2019 (Data from EPDK, 2020)

Even though all coal power plants rank the 3rd biggest in the installed capacity with 22%, prominently
electricity generation from coal in total (both lignite and imported) is ranking the first with 37%. This can
be due to relatively lower operating costs of coal-fired power plants (Gutmann et al., 2014, p. 12) and
Turkey’s energy policies to decrease dependency on imported natural gas. Regardless, Turkey is observed
to increase its installed capacity continuously in renewable energy until today (Fig. 12). Smart grid
applications can help integrate Turkey’s expanding renewable energy capacity and prevent further
disturbances to the load balance, thus preventing power outages and blackouts.

16
 45

38.45
40 37.21

35

30 28

25
GW

20
15.5
15

10

0
2009 2014 2018 2019

Fig. 12. Turkey’s Installed Capacity from Renewable Power Plants (Data from IEA, 2016; EPDK. 2020)

The increase in total installed capacity and installed capacity from renewables can be explained by two major
drivers in the energy sector: privatizing the energy sector and incentives on renewable energy production.
4.3.1.1 Privatizing Energy Sector

Turkey’s energy production and distribution are no longer considered a monopoly of the state-owned EÜAŞ
or TEDAŞ, former state-owned distribution company, since “Monopolies in the generation, transmission and
distribution were split up in order to enable competition” (OECD, 2012, p. 9). As a result, privatization
efforts contributed to the steady increase in the installed capacity and electricity production as it had
increased the competition. Efforts to privatize and liberalize the Turkish electricity sector resulted in foreign
and national private companies raising their share in installed capacity from %31.9 in 2002 to %76.6 in 2017
(TKSB, 2018, p. 19). This can be considered one successful step towards smart grid transition, enabling one
of a smart grid’s key features: decentralized power production and all-inclusive energy markets.
4.3.1.2 Incentives on Renewable Energy Production

In 2014, EMRA announced that energy companies would receive incentives to generate electricity from
renewable resources within the scope of YEKDEM, Supporting Mechanism of Renewable Energy (Cagatay
and Ozsoy, 2014). For each invoicing period, the amount of electricity produced is guaranteed to be
purchased for ten years within the scope of YEKDEM at a fixed price (Official Gazette 30772, Article 24;
The World Bank, 2015). Up to 13.3 USD cent/kWh purchase value was pledged for the powerplants built
before 2019 within YEKDEM, for their first ten years of operation (Invest in Turkey, 2019, p. 17). The
electricity that is guaranteed to profit more than it would in a standard powerplant encouraged many
investors, both at national and international levels. Within YEKDEM, 28 GW installed capacity was
achieved in 2020, 6.4 GW obtained from unlicensed powerplants (EPİAŞ, 2020).
Additionally, according to National Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2017-2023, on-site production and
consumption are encouraged (Presidency of Strategy and Budget, 2021). The Ministry of Energy and Natural
Resources worked on another supporting mechanism called YEKA, Renewable Energy Resource Zones, to
‘incentivize local manufacturing of renewable generation assets’ (The World Bank, 2015; Invest in Turkey

17
2019, p. 25). Projects will be selling electricity with a purchase agreement for their first several years,
depending on the agreement (Invest in Turkey, 2019; Sengul, 2019). Two of the significant achievements of
the YEKA could be shown as the 1 GW Karapinar YEKA-1 Solar Project in Konya that includes building a
local manufacturing factory for photovoltaic (PV) equipment (p.25) and 1 GW wind turbine project,
including building the local wind turbine factory (Cagatay, 2018). The installed capacity from renewables is
expected to increase, while the emissions that would have occurred during the power plant equipment’s
transportation phase are cut back.
Increasing installed capacity from renewable energy power plants is a positive step towards smart grid
development as renewables are identified as crucial parts of the smart cities, thereby the smart grids. Even
though it is almost always considered on behalf of the environment to increase the ratio of renewable energy
production compared to total production and even though YEKDEM started with good intentions to promote
renewable energy, in a country like Turkey, where its currency TRY is very unstable for the last several
years, YEKDEM’s fixed price resulted in a significant burden on the government’s shoulders. The Turkish
currency losing about 30% against the USD in 2020 (Yilmaz, 2020) can be shown as an example of this
situation. In contrast, companies had substantial profits due to parity. Even though this might have caused
some stakeholders to benefit more than others, which could be a matter of interest for further research,
Turkey’s renewable energy sector is progressing from the smart grid perspective.

4.3.2 Introduction of Nuclear Power

Adding nuclear to the energy mix is a step for increasing diversity in the mix, thereby lowering carbon
emissions, as well as increasing energy security during and after the transition phase of the smart grids
(Harvey, 2020).
Turkey is increasing its installed capacity and including nuclear power in its energy outlook while increasing
renewable energy’s share to meet the growing energy demands. Turkey’s first nuclear power plant (NPP),
4800 MW Akkuyu NPP, will start operating in 2023 (Presidency of Strategy and Budget, 2021). The NPP is
expected to supply 10% of the total electricity demand (p. 229). 4480 MW Sinop NPP will be the second
nuclear power plant in the country (MENR, 2020) and the third NPP project is in the planning phase
(Presidency of Strategy and Budget, 2021).

4.3.3 Introduction of Prosumers to the Grid

A prospering smart grid transition can also increase consumer participation, transforming consumers into
prosumers with the technologies that allow two-way energy and information flow (EC and US DOE, 2012;
Siozios et al., 2019). Within the regulations’ framework to increase efficiency in using energy resources, in
2007, individuals were given the right to produce their energy and sell it back to the grid without obtaining
a license (The World Bank, 2015, p. 109). These unlicensed electricity generation facilities are encouraged
by the government and the law. There is no obligation to get an energy production license, making the process
easier for individuals who want to invest in energy. The Electricity Market Law 6446 (2013), Article 14
defines the prerequisites for becoming a producer without the license and essentially enables consumers to
become prosumers.
In 2019, 9,829.45 GWh out of 304,080.77 GWh of the total electricity production was from unlicensed
electricity production, 90% of which from solar power (EPDK, 2020). According to EMRA, there is a 20%
increase in unlicensed production compared to 2018 values (p. 3), an optimistic development for a pathway
to include consumers in the two-way trade and decentralize the electrical grid.
In 2019, the limit for unlicensed electricity generation facilities was increased from 1 MW to 5 MW to
encourage individuals further to invest in the energy market (Invest in Turkey, 2019).

18
4.3.4 Introduction of Communication Networks
Applications of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are constituent elements of the Smart
Grid. Integration of the ICT technologies could be considered one of the main parameters indicating smart
grid integration success. Smart metering and automated meter reading (AMR) are examples of ICT
applications. Smart metering enables customers to be acquainted with their energy consumption data and
control their consumption and costs (Ekanayake et al., 2012). On the utility side, it also allows sending data
for peak-load requirements and accurate pricing strategies (Momoh, 2012).
Turkey’s distribution regions are in different conditions regarding ICT technologies. A few of the 21
distribution companies are reported to use SCADA (AF-Mercados EMI, n.d., p. 14). Başkent Distribution
Company, one of the 21 electricity distribution companies, has the capital city Ankara within its coverage
zone, had already installed SCADA and GIS systems and initiated smart grid R&D works (Atasoy et al.,
2014). Başkent Distribution Company also concluded a feasibility project for smart grids in 2013 by
receiving funding from the US Trade and Development Agency (Atasoy et al., 2014). According to AF
MERCADOS EMI’s report in 2016, between 2018 and 2019, a total of 10 million ₺ is planned to be spent
solely on the installation and integration of SCADA Control Center (p.44). Besides procuring SCADA
systems, In 2019, EÜAŞ’s director-general Alagöz announced a new automation system called EOS to
facilitate monitoring and controlling power plants, starting from the Kepez 2 Hydroelectric Power Plant
(EÜAŞ, n.d.). This could be acknowledged as a significant milestone for the digitalization of Turkey’s power
system.
On the broadband side, TEIAS opened its fiber-optic infrastructure for commercial use. In 2019, 18,601 km
of fiber-optic line out of 28,743 km total installed capacity were rented out to Turkish telecommunication
companies (TEİAŞ, 2019, p.79). According to the Presidency of Strategy and Budget’s Annual Plan,
broadband and 5G investment targets are set (2021).

4.3.5 HVDC Projects

Projects on transmission and distribution lines are in progress; Turkish Electricity Transmission Company
(TEİAŞ) put 953 km of distribution lines and 664 km of transmission lines in use in 2019 and announced
that further projects for expansion are planned as mid-term goals (TEİAŞ, 2019). Turkey also has two HVDC
projects. The first HVDC system was between Georgia and Turkey; The Georgia-Black Sea Transmission
Network, interconnecting two countries’ electrical grids (World Energy Council, 2017; Siemens, n.d.). The
second HVDC project, Van Back to Back in Van Substation Center, is a consortium work of ŞA-RA Group,
China Electric Power Equipment and Technology L.C. for TEİAŞ (TEİAŞ, 2019, p.84; ŞA-RA Group, n.d).
Future HVDC systems are also on Turkey’s agenda, such as a potential HVDC line between under-
construction Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant and Istanbul (IAEA, 2019).

4.3.6 Electric Vehicles (EVs) and EV Infrastructure.

The transportation sector is responsible for 26% of Turkey’s total final energy demand and accounts for more
than 20% of total CO2 emissions (Saygın et al., 2019). Vehicle ownership is less common than the OECD
countries, representing 15.4% of Turkey’s population and only 1,000 of the total vehicles are estimated to
be EVs (Saygın et al. 2019; Daily Sabah, 2019). Converting the transportation into electricity could result in
a significant decrease in terms of emissions, but also could be used as part of the grid in the long-term. This
could only be achieved after the charging infrastructure is ready and the conventional grid is advanced
enough to carry the load imbalances. Only if then the Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technologies could be
discussed. To date, Turkey’s V2G future has never been a research interest.
Turkey will be manufacturing its national 1 million units of cars, including battery-electric SUV’s by the
end of 2035 (Bilen, 2020). This can be considered as a progress in regard to future EV integration within
smart grids. On the other hand, government subsidies to encourage purchasing EVs are reported to be non-

19
existent on the future action plans (Bilen, 2020) and conduct a comprehensive study to investigate the grid
availability for future EV scenarios (Saygın et al. 2019). Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
announced in 2020 that one charger per 50 parking spaces in the parking lots of shopping malls and public
places would be ensured by the regulations (Turapoglu, 2020); however, the regulation itself is yet to be
found. There are other regulations, such as the Regulation 27771, “Regulations on the Manufacturing,
Replacement and Installation of Vehicles” and the Regulation 30762, “Regulation on Procedure and
Principles Related to Increasing Energy Efficiency in Transportation”; however, those could be considered
rather indistinct, as they do not define the complete framework for EV’s and the chargers. Although Turkey’s
EV sector is progressing, current policies and the regulations are limited and require further research.

20
5 Turkey’s Smart Grid Future
Turkey’s total energy investments are expected to reach $110 billion by 2023 (Erdin and Ozkaya, 2019). The
exact amount that will fund the smart grid development is unknown; however, renewable energy and nuclear
power are known to be a part of these investments, including completing construction works of Turkey’s
first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu Nuclear Plant, and initiating Sinop Nuclear Power Plant Project, which
will be the second nuclear power plant in the country (MENR, 2020).

5.1 Potential Stakeholders

Transition to the smart grid can benefit Turkey’s electrical grid in many ways, but foremost, it can solve the
challenges the current system is facing and further improve the electricity supply quality. Stakeholder
analysis can be very beneficial to encourage the actors to participate and create a sense of responsibility
(World Wildlife Fund, 2005) in the smart grid transformation. Turkey’s potential smart grid stakeholders are
identified, as shown in Fig. 13, Additional to the current energy stakeholders, the smart grid version has ICT
and EV service & solution providers as the external stakeholders. Also, the consumers become prosumers
by participating in electricity generation while benefiting from ICTs.
Fig. 13. Turkey’s Potential Smart Grid Stakeholders

EÜAŞ Employees including sub-

External Stakeholders

contractors**
Public Stakeholders

TEİAŞ
Suppliers
TEDAŞ
EMRA ICT Service and Solution
Provider***
EPİAŞ
EV Service and Solutions
Ministries* Provider
Private Stakeholders

Powerplant owning companies

Prosumers (Household)
21 distribution companies
Consumers

Prosumers (Industry)
Retailing companies

***ICT service provider includes telecommunications, smart meter equipment, smart

meter reading, and software licenses (Siozios et al., 2019).

5.2 Future Steps to Achieve a Smarter Grid

Turkey is transforming its traditional electrical power system to reach modern-day standards, thereby
progressing towards fulfilling the smart grid requirements almost unintentionally. Even though the
government’s one of the most recent and main targets are on digitalization in many sectors, still, Turkey
lacks the ICTs that enables the digitalization of the electrical grid highly depends. ICT applications such as
remote monitoring & control software systems for transmission and distribution networks, V2G solutions,
GIS, communication protocols, and end-user friendly automated systems (OECD, 2012) are essential
features of the smart grid. Likewise, the importance of the communication networks/internet should also not

21
be neglected. Productivity and ICT use correlates with broadband and broadband speed (Hagén et al., 2008).
On the other hand, Turkey has a 28.7 Mbps Fixed Broadband downloading speed and ranks 102 nd globally
(Ookla LLC, 2020). Low internet speed in Turkey contradicts its profile as an emerging economy and its
high numbers of broadband subscriptions (Ookla, 2016; World Bank Group, 2020). It also proves that Turkey
needs to improve its broadband infrastructure.
Turkey also falls behind in efficient residential heating and cooling. Predominantly, imported natural gas is
used for space heating alongside power generation, reducing energy security and increasing its burden on
the economy heavily. According to the World Bank’s report (2015), “Gas demand exceeds available supply
during cold winter days, resulting in supply curtailments.” (p.45). This can also be considered a significant
contributor to load imbalances in the grid. Meanwhile, 90% of Turkey’s geothermal sources are considered
suitable for heating, while 10% is convenient for energy production (Erdin and Ozkaya, 2019). West-
Anatolia holds high-temperature reservoirs, while Mid-Anatolia and East-Anatolia hold low-temperature
reservoirs suitable for residential heating (Haklıdır Tut, 2014), which already are experiencing relatively
colder winters. Sweden, which has an even colder climate than Turkey, has replaced fossil fuel-based
residential heating systems with district heating and heat pumps over the last 50 years, and currently, more
than 50% of Sweden’s heating demand is met from district heating (Dzebo and Nykvist, 2017). On the other
hand, 32.3% of Turkey’s 44.9 billion m3 natural gas consumption was used in buildings in 2019 (GAZBIR,
2019). It can be concluded that Turkey needs a complete heating reform.
Additional to the steps taken so far, key recommendations for Turkey are summarized in Table 1 to ensure
a reliable, self-healing, efficient, and sustainable smart grid in the future.

End Goal Action Points

Reduce electricity loss rate
Reduce frequent power outages and blackouts
Advanced communication networks
Cybersecurity
 Replace aging equipment
 Ensure remote monitoring and control
systems in distribution and transmission
lines
 Invest in R&D of the remote monitoring
and control systems
 Implement country-wide smart metering
 Improve GIS
 Replace aging equipment
 Ensure remote monitoring and control
systems in distribution and transmission
lines
 Invest in energy storage solutions
 Invest in energy storage R&D
 Invest in DSI
 Reform heating and cooling systems
across the country
 Encourage telecommunication
companies to be more involved in the
energy sector
 Increase investments in broadband
infrastructure and wireless networks
 Increase number of skilled professionals
 Widen number of PMU installations
(NIST, 2019)
 Establish trust between organizations

22
  Improvise reporting, analyzing and
assessing features of the stakeholders
 Train all staff included in the power
system
 Define security policies
 Invest in defense (firewalls, data diodes,
antivirus software, etc.) (NIST, 2014, pp
27-28)
Others  Conduct a comprehensive EV study
focusing on grid infrastructure
 Create a regulatory framework and
strategic action plan for EV’s and
identify pilot cities.
 Invest in R&D for early warning systems
for meteorological events and
earthquakes (including AI technology)

Table 1. Key Recommendations for Turkey’s Future Smart Grid Development

The potential role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on smart grids can be researched as a long-term goal since
AI has a lot to offer regarding future predictions and automated processes.

23
6 Discussion and Conclusion
A critical remark must be made regarding cybersecurity. As communication networks connect millions of
devices, cybersecurity can be expected to become a threat for national grids (Siozios et al., 2019, p. 9).
Turkey’s long-term plans must include cybersecurity strategies, primarily because of its vulnerable location
in the region, including terror attacks (OECD and IEA, 2016, p. 84).
The future of EV’s and the charging stations should be further studied and put in a framework before taking
the actual actions. The current electrical grid does not seem to endure a potential boom in future EV sales
and further research is needed.
Another vital remark would be about integrating nuclear power into the grid. There are numerous examples
of nuclear power plant trips due to the grid’s electrical faults (Villaran et al., 2016, p. 9). The current grid,
already interrupted by frequency and voltage failures, might result in a catastrophe for nuclear power. Turkey
is also located at a crossing of 3 tectonic plates and is an earthquake zone, making Turkey “one of the
seismically most active nations in Eurasia” (UC Regents, 2020). However, implementations of the smart grid
such as self-healing and forecasting features could prevent nuclear plant trips due to load imbalances, natural
disasters, and terror attacks (Villaran et al. 2016, pp.33 & 48).
The country’s energy situation, including generation, transmission, distribution, and retailing aspects,
indicates its future energy transition potential. Turkey is on a promising pathway to transform its
conventional electrical grid, thus its complete power system into a more intelligent, modern version;
however, more smart grid specific efforts are needed. A smart grid system would provide the following
numerous benefits (Colak et al., 2020; Siozios et al., 2019; Sun et al., 2016; UNECE, 2015):
• Immediate frequency control
• Real-time intelligent load balancing
• Efficient use of energy resources, renewables prioritized
• V2G integration
• Decrease in technical and non-technical loss rate from transmission and distribution lines
• Increase in consumer participation, thus awareness of their consumption
• Energy security
These benefits could address Turkey’s current challenges, such as high electricity loss rates, frequent power
outages, and blackouts, all of which can be reduced to acceptable levels. This way, an uninterruptable, high-
quality power supply could be achieved. Also, another overall result of the smart grid transition would be
decreased greenhouse gas emissions. This would help keep temperature rise at acceptable levels and increase
health benefits due to reduced production from non-renewable resources and reduced use of ICE vehicles.
This way, many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (UN, 2021) could be addressed, such as:
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy by providing all regions access to reliable electricity without
many power outages and blackouts and supporting R&D on renewable energy production.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth by increasing employment in the sector by integrating
new technologies, such as ICTs.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure by advancing the infrastructure to a more resilient,
sustainable version and increasing efficiency in technologies. Also, increasing R&D budgets and
“increasing access to information and communications technology and striving to provide universal
and affordable access to the Internet”.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities by investing remote monitor & control systems, replacing aging
equipment, expanding HV & LW lines, especially in the South-East region of Turkey, where the
electricity is mostly exposed to power theft; thus, promoting economic and political inclusion of all.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities by creating smart cities and supporting sustainable
urbanization and adopting related policies and taking early precautions to decrease natural disasters’
potential effects on energy, such as earthquakes.

24
 • SDG 13: Climate Action by accomplishing a successful transition to a more intelligent power
system, thus, increasing efficiency and decreasing total emissions from power production,
transmission, distribution and consumption.
To conclude, smart grid technologies have much to offer Turkey’s power system. It can transform the
electrical grid with many outages to a more reliable, resilient and efficiently managed electrical grid. A
transition like Turkey’s requires effort and strategic planning that is specifically pointing out and bringing
forward the concept of smart grids. As a rapidly developing country, Turkey needs to focus on the loss in its
electricity distribution and expand its digitalization efforts until it reaches country-wide levels and covers
every small town and village. As a result, total energy waste and the related costs and emissions can be
eliminated while the complete power system is modernized.

25
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