KEMA started the ‘Enhancing the transmission planning methodologies of TEIAS’ project in January 2006 to assist the manager of the Turkish TEIAS electricity transmission grid in improving its grid planning methods.  

This project is part of the Dutch PSO Pre-accession program, financed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. The program goals are to support the government institutions in candidate member countries, such as Turkey, in adopting   and implementing European regulations as part of the admission and the reinforcement of bilateral relations.  

Unbundling
One important reason for the two-year project is the liberalization of the Turkish electricity market. With this liberalization and the associated ‘unbundling’ of electricity generation, grids, and sales, the starting points for transmission grid planning have changed. Previously the same company made integrated plans for the construction of power stations and grids. Under the liberalized market scenario, the transport grid manager should facilitate the decisions made by electricity generators and other market players. 

10-year plan
These changes pose new challenges and uncertainties in the transmission grid planning process. KEMA will advise and train the TEIAS planning department in how to work within a liberalized market structure. The goal is to develop an improved planning methodology that will help formulate the 10-year plan for ‘transmission grid and investment decisions’. KEMA will be assisted here by experts from the Dutch grid manager TenneT, which has extensive experience in the planning of a high-voltage power grid in a liberalized market.