Following the devastating earthquakes, which heavily damaged infrastructure in several provinces in Türkiye's southeast three years ago, Turkish authorities have stepped up efforts and directed a significant amount of resources aimed at repairing key energy networks, a report showed on Thursday.
Investments aimed at repairing damage to the energy infrastructure, primarily the electricity distribution network, were recorded at approximately TL 51.1 billion ($1.17 billion at the current exchange rate) as of the end of last year.
Expenditures in the energy sector to address earthquake-related damage were largely carried out within the scope of improving the electricity distribution network, according to information compiled by Anadolu Agency (AA) from the "Kahramanmaraş and Hatay Earthquakes Reconstruction and Development Report" prepared by the Presidency's Strategy and Budget Directorate.
In the three years since the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, efforts to compensate for earthquake damage have continued intensively following needs assessments conducted in cooperation with public institutions and organizations, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and international institutions.
Significant progress has been made in the recovery process as a result of efforts to rebuild or reinforce damaged drinking water, sewage, energy, communications and transportation infrastructure.
Repairs in electricity, natural gas infrastructure
As part of post-earthquake efforts, total damage amounting to TL 53.9 billion ($1.24 billion) was identified at electricity generation, transmission and distribution facilities belonging to the public and private sectors, natural gas transmission and distribution facilities, oil transmission and storage facilities, and fuel facilities.
The majority of the damage was found to have occurred in provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya and Kahramanmaraş.
These provinces were among the 11 most impacted by powerful tremors early on Feb. 6, 2023. The earthquakes killed over 53,000 people and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings.
The disaster is one of the worst that ever taken place in Türkiye, the country known to be prone to earthquakes, as it sits on several fault lines.
Since then, authorities have worked on building new housing units and repairing damage to commercial and energy infrastructure, as well as major cultural and historical sites in the regions.
Accordingly, investments directed at repairing damage to the energy infrastructure stood at approximately TL 51.1 billion as of the end of last year.
Repair activities were carried out mainly at electricity and natural gas distribution facilities located in urban areas, which suffered greater damage. However, in some locations, temporary interruptions in electricity and natural gas supply continued for a period due to concerns over public safety and property protection.
Among state-operated power plants affected by the earthquake, Karakaya Hydroelectric Power Plant continued electricity generation without interruption, while damage at the Afşin-Elbistan B Thermal Power Plant was swiftly repaired. Both plants are currently operating continuously.
Facilitation provided to electricity companies
Meanwhile, for unlicensed electricity generation facilities associated with consumption facilities that came online in the earthquake region in 2023, it was allowed, during the 2024 settlement period, to sell surplus energy based on the highest consumption value recorded during the 2022-2024 period, rather than only the active consumption at the point of sale.
Meanwhile, the general directorate of Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation (TEIAŞ) carried out infrastructure investments aimed at strengthening and improving transmission systems.
Efforts were undertaken to conduct seismic performance assessments of existing distribution centers, transformer substations and step-down substations owned by electricity distribution companies, as well as to reinforce them where necessary.
Similarly, consumers residing in the earthquake zone were exempted from paying the security deposit as well as connection and disconnection fees specified under the regulation between Feb. 15, 2023, and May 9, 2023.
Companies selling electricity in the wholesale and retail markets whose energy trade and supply operations were adversely affected were also exempted from the advance payment obligation stipulated under a special regulation until March 31, 2024.
This exemption from the advance payment obligation was later narrowed in scope and extended first until Dec. 31, 2025, and subsequently until Dec. 31 of this year.