Investments and Challenges in Electricity Distribution in Mardin

Despite the network improvement maintenance and repair works carried out by Dicle Elektrik in Mardin, a warning was issued that the network could collapse, especially in the Derik and Kızıltepe districts, and there is a risk of these districts not receiving energy due to unauthorized usage. It was stated that the amount of stolen electricity consumed in Mardin is sufficient for 1.2 million households and a population of 4 million 800 thousand, with an economic loss of 6 billion 250 million Turkish liras.

Investments and Goals of Dicle Elektrik

Dicle Elektrik continues its operations with the vision of providing quality, uninterrupted, and lossless energy distribution in six provinces located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region. The distribution company, serving 358,600 subscribers in Mardin, has made investments in compliance with consumer services and service quality regulations of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK), and has invested 3 billion 200 million Turkish liras in Mardin in the 10 years since privatization. Officials stated, “We aim to put into service an investment of nearly 1 billion Turkish liras in Mardin this year for the new investment period. Thus, our total investment in the region will exceed 4 billion Turkish liras,” they said.

Unauthorized Usage and Energy Consumption Issues

Despite strengthening its infrastructure with investments focusing on technology, the distribution company stated that it issues warnings due to excessive loading of the network, especially due to unauthorized usage in agricultural irrigation. It was reported that one-third of Dicle Elektrik’s total receivables of 28 billion Turkish liras belong to Mardin. In the statement made by Dicle Elektrik officials, it was stated, “In 2023, there was an energy consumption of 5 billion kWh in Mardin. It was determined that 2 billion 465 million kWh is accounted for. There is a total of 2.5 billion kWh of lost unauthorized energy consumption in the province. The cost of this unauthorized energy to the country is 6 billion 250 million Turkish liras. The stolen energy consumed only in Mardin is equivalent to the consumption of 1.2 million households. Assuming that 4 people live in each household, this corresponds to the energy consumption of 4 million 800 thousand people. Energy consumption is increasing day by day. We continue our efforts with extraordinary efforts for our city to receive uninterrupted and quality energy, and we fight against unauthorized usage,” it was stated.

Agricultural Irrigation and Electricity Consumption

Mardin’s agricultural irrigation subscribers consume three times more electricity. Dicle Elektrik officials, sharing example consumption data indicating an astronomical increase in electricity consumption due to agricultural irrigation, stated, “There are 272 thousand active subscribers in Mardin, and subscribers consume approximately 5.4 million kWh of electricity in a day before the irrigation season. There are 7 thousand agricultural irrigation subscribers in Mardin, constituting approximately 2.5% of the total number of subscribers. We see that the daily consumption of these 7 thousand agricultural irrigation subscribers exceeds 18 million kWh with the start of irrigation. In other words, Mardin’s agricultural irrigation subscribers consume electricity at a height close to three times the other subscriber groups in the province,” they stated.

Risk of Energy Non-Delivery: Kızıltepe and Derik

Stating that they are continuously fighting against illegal transformers, Dicle Elektrik officials said, “Out of the 35 thousand subscribers in the region who use 6.5 billion kWh of electricity annually to irrigate their fields with underground water, more than 7 thousand are located in Mardin. The accumulated electricity debt of 5,600 of these subscribers has reached 10 billion Turkish liras. If unauthorized usage continues in Kızıltepe and Derik, where agricultural irrigation is most intensively carried out, it should be taken into consideration that the networks in these two districts will completely collapse and there is a risk of not providing energy to these districts,” they said.