Turkey is planning a major new electricity interconnection project, similar to the TANAP natural gas pipeline, designed to supply power to Europe, according to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.

Speaking at the Baku Energy Week, Alparslan Bayraktar said that energy security in the new normal of global volatility requires a simultaneous focus on two fundamental elements: diversification and connectivity.

As part of this strategy, Turkey initiated a green electricity transmission and trade project to link Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and Bulgaria. Bayraktar drew a parallel to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP).

TANAP is part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which brings gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey and Europe.

The project could eventually extend into Central Asia

“I call it ‘the electricity version of TANAP’. Unlike the TANAP project, which focuses on transporting gas, this project aims to transport electricity resources from here to Turkey and through Turkey to Europe. You will hear about this project more frequently in the coming weeks and months,” he stressed, according to the ministry’s website.

Photo: Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources/Twitter

The minister noted that the project could eventually extend into Central Asia, further strengthening regional electricity trade and energy security.

To support rising energy production and facilitate smoother cross-border electricity transmission, Turkey is preparing a USD 30 billion upgrade to its electricity transmission and distribution system over the next decade, he announced.

The project is an apparent competitor against a project by Romania, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Hungary

This massive grid modernization investment would reinforce Turkey’s interconnection capacity with Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Bulgaria.

Back in April 2025, the four countries signed a memorandum of understanding on green electricity transmission and trade. The initiative has envisaged the establishment of a green energy corridor toward Europe.

The project is an apparent competitor against a project by Romania, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Hungary. They plan to lay a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable under the Black Sea.