Smart grid road map and challenges for Turkey

Abstract

The power of a conventional plant and that of a photovoltaic (PV) system are the same. In typical applications, a limited grid network, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems with remote water pumping for remote islands include the supply of electricity to villages. Turkey’s energy dependence on imports, mainly on oil and natural gas (NG), has been increasing because of the growth in energy demand. Turkey has achieved the highest growth rate of energy demand in OECD countries over the last 12 years. Currently, Turkey is able to meet only about 26% of the total energy demand from its own domestic resources. On the one hand, the institutions responsible for the transmission and distribution of electricity and NG are privatized in Turkey, but on the other hand, works for the optimization of transmission and distribution networks are in progress. Although applications are made for the exploitation of transmission and distribution networks at an optimal level, the competent public authorities enforce new regulations in this context, with the aim of ensuring bilateral information flows between consumers and suppliers. Turkey has two interconnection points with the East European Transmission Grid. The test period for a synchronous parallel operation between the Turkish and European power systems had started on 1 June 2011 and ended in September 2012. At this moment, the trade is limited to 400 MW from Bulgaria and Greece to Turkey and 300 MW from Turkey to Europe via these countries. In order to provide a stable, low-cost, reliable, efficient, robust, sustainable and environment-friendly electrical energy system to consumers, a fully operational smart grid (SG) system needs to be established in Turkey. If classical grids in Turkey were transformed into SGs, not only would the above-mentioned benefits be achieved, but also Turkey would be able to attract a huge amount of investment to boost its economy. The Turkish grid system would then become a powerful player in the energy market in Europe.