Turkey has energy supply and security as top priority

As the natural gas crisis between Russia and Ukraine brought possible power cuts to the agenda in Turkey, discussions over "energy supply and security" have restarted. The Energy Ministry, developing a project to affect the liberalization of the electricity market, is working to pave the way for the construction of a state-run nuclear station.
The Ministry will discuss the issue together with the Energy Market Regulation Board (EPDK), and with market players and businessmen.

The construction of nuclear energy stations cannot be undertaken by the private sector alone and is set as the main reason for the new "arrangement;" however, the EPDK opposes the arrangement saying they are concerned that "the liberalization can be later withdrawn." It is necessary to obtain a license from the EPDK to build the plant and produce electricity.
"If supply security cannot be established with the measures in this article, power production companies are given the authority to build the necessary production facility with the proposal of the ministry and the decision of the Council of Ministers," reads the draft, excluding the Board from this particular issue only.

The nine-article document prepared by the ministry also brings a change to the Renewable Energy Resources Law. Accordingly, the seven-year purchase guarantee period has been increased to 10 years.
This paves the way for the reassessment of dam projects that applied to the Energy Board for the utilization of hydraulic resources and investment and received a negative response from the State Water Works Authority (DSI), and for the DSI to take the final decision.

The Turkish Power Transmission Corporation is authorized to determine the power supply. EPDK Chairman Yusuf Gunay announced that "in the nuclear energy project, the state, in partnership with the private sector, will not be issued a license" according to the current law. The energy needed in the next term could be met by domestic resources, the EPDK says.
The companies that received a license from the institution for power production are "worried" about the preparation of the law, pointing out that public weight in the sector will increase. The privatizations may come too late, they warn.