Turkish power company to mentor Sudan and Chad

By Nuran Erkul

ANKARA

Turkey's leading electricity company has established a training program to mentor power companies in the developing world, the firm’s general manager said on Thursday.

Mukremin Cepni told Anadolu Agency that representatives from electricity companies in Chad and Sudan were currently undergoing training with the Turkish Electricity Distribution Company (TEDAS).

Prior to a series of privatization programs between 2008 and 2013, TEDAS was solely responsible for power distribution in Turkey. It now oversees private companies operating in 21 distribution regions under 30-year licenses.

"With our experience of electricity distribution before the privatization process, TEDAS learnt a lot in the sector,” Cepni said. “After the privatization process, we accumulated knowledge on supervision of the sector as well. Now, we want to share our experience and knowledge with other countries."

TEDAS initially sent a team to Chad and Sudan to examine the distribution systems before asking officials to return for training at the company’s training center in Golbasi, just to the south of capital Ankara.

“After that training, TEDAS will help the electricity distribution institutions of those countries found a training center,” Cepni told Anadolu Agency. “TEDAS's instructors will train other personnel as well." This mentoring will see TEDAS instructors remain abroad for three years.

Further assistance is to be offered to Cameroon and negotiations about training are taking place in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, northern Iraq, Libya and Turkmenistan.

Turkey ranks second in Europe and fifth in the world for the total length of its electricity distribution and transmission lines, Cepni said.