Battery Storage And Infrastructure: The Next Leap In Türkiye's Energy Transition

1. A Turning Point in Global Energy Trends

According to the International Energy Agency's (IEA) latest data, renewable energy generation surpassed coal globally in the first half of 2025, marking a historic milestone in the fight against climate change. However, this achievement also exposes an underlying structural challenge: while renewable generation capacity is expanding rapidly, the infrastructure required to store, transmit, and balance this energy is not keeping pace.

Across markets, negative pricing and curtailment incidents are becoming increasingly common, particularly during periods of high solar or wind generation. These issues underline the urgent need for large-scale battery storage systems and modernized grid infrastructure to ensure flexibility and reliability in electricity supply.

2. Battery Storage: The Cornerstone of a Flexible Grid

Battery storage technologies, including lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and emerging flow batteries, are now recognized as indispensable components of a decarbonized energy system. Their ability to store excess power during low-demand periods and discharge it during peaks allows renewable energy to function as a dispatchable resource rather than an intermittent one.

Global investment in energy storage is accelerating, supported by policy mechanisms such as capacity markets, ancillary service payments, and green financing instruments. The European Union, the United States, and major Asian economies are already integrating storage targets into their national energy strategies.

As IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol noted, policymakers must "pay close attention to grid integration and supply chain challenges." In other words, the next phase of the renewable revolution depends not on generation expansion alone but on integrating generation with storage and transmission infrastructure.

3. Türkiye's Policy Landscape and Market Response

Türkiye has entered this global trend decisively. With solar and wind accounting for an increasing share of installed capacity, the need for storage has become a policy priority. The Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) took a significant step in 2023 by introducing a regulatory framework allowing co-located battery storage facilities alongside renewable generation plants.

The market response was immediate and substantial. Within months of the regulation's enactment, over 20,000 MW of storage-linked project applications were submitted to EMRA, reflecting both the private sector's readiness and the scale of unmet demand for grid flexibility.

This framework enables renewable producers to integrate storage systems directly into their existing or planned facilities, a model aligned with global best practices that enhances grid stability and supports Türkiye's 2053 net-zero carbon target.

4. Infrastructure: The Hidden Backbone of the Transition

While storage is the visible technological enabler, infrastructure is the invisible foundation of the energy transition. Every new renewable power plant requires not only storage solutions but also substantial investment in transmission lines, substations, and grid reinforcement.

Türkiye's electricity transmission operator (TEİAŞ) and distribution network operators face the complex task of expanding and modernizing the grid to accommodate thousands of megawatts of new capacity. Without these upgrades, curtailment risks and connection delays may rise, undermining investor confidence.

Strategic investment in infrastructure, including substation expansion, grid automation, and smart metering, will therefore be essential to ensure that renewable and storage projects can deliver their full economic and environmental benefits.

5. The Path Forward

Türkiye's policy direction is encouraging, but the transition will require a coordinated national approach involving regulatory stability, financing mechanisms, and grid modernization. Key priorities include:

• Regulatory clarity and stability to support long-term investment decisions
• Access to sustainable finance through green bonds and blended finance mechanisms
• Infrastructure renewal and expansion, particularly at the substation and transmission level

If these elements progress in harmony, Türkiye is well positioned to become a regional leader in renewable-plus-storage investments, transforming its growing renewable portfolio into a flexible, resilient, and exportable clean energy system.

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