Power
Türkiye updates rules for behind-the-meter battery storage
Türkiye has revised its regulatory framework to permit electricity consumers to install battery storage systems with power ratings exceeding their contracted grid capacity.
Key points
- EPDK published regulatory amendments on October 19 with immediate effect.
- Consumers must install automatic power controls and cut-off systems to prevent electricity exports.
- Separate rules adjust financial guarantee refund conditions for storage-backed generation projects.
What happened
pv magazine reported that Türkiye's Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) has implemented regulatory changes allowing electricity users to deploy battery storage systems that exceed their contracted grid connection limits. Under the updated framework, consumers must still maintain grid imports within their agreed thresholds and install mandatory automatic power controls alongside electricity cut-off systems to prevent any power exports to the network.
Approval from the local grid operator remains a prerequisite, and the battery installation must share a single metering point with the consumption facility. The regulatory adjustments apply specifically to battery power ratings measured in kilowatts or megawatts rather than total storage capacity in kilowatt-hours. A separate amendment removes energy-capacity limits for storage paired with license-exempt generation, provided that battery power does not exceed the electrical capacity of the associated generation plant.
Furthermore, the authority published updated rules concerning financial guarantees for generation projects that incorporate storage. Developers will not recover their financial guarantees until the entire generation facility becomes fully operational. Refunds for individual storage units will instead be calculated based on the power rating of units that successfully pass formal acceptance procedures.
Project pipeline
The regulatory updates coincide with the ongoing development of a substantial pipeline of wind and solar installations paired with battery storage across the country. According to EPDK announcements from February, the authority has allocated approximately 33 gigawatts to such projects under legislative measures introduced in 2022. By that stage, 23 projects representing roughly 1.07 gigawatts had secured generation licenses, while approximately 208 megawatts were operational.
Why it matters
For policymakers and energy investors managing high shares of intermittent generation, Türkiye's approach offers a structural example of how to manage industrial peak demand without compromising grid integrity. World Bank figures for 2021 show that renewables accounted for 35.4 percent of electricity output in Türkiye, while electricity use per person stood at 3,872.9 kWh in 2025, surpassing the global average of 3,708.5 kWh. For developing energy markets across Africa, including Nigeria, regulatory mechanisms that permit behind-the-meter storage while enforcing strict anti-export controls provide useful precedents for balancing industrial self-generation with wider grid stability.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Grids decide whether generation becomes power that homes and businesses can rely on. Generation mix, transmission and distribution losses, and tariffs together shape reliability and the case for investment.
100.0% of people in Türkiye had electricity in 2024Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
