Energy is Future 2025 in Istanbul
We were delighted to participate in the Energy is Future (EIF) Expo in Istanbul from 8th–10th October and to connect with many partners pushing the energy transition forward.
🔹 Engaging conversations at our stand
Our stand welcomed visitors from across Türkiye, Europe and beyond. From PV developers to charging infrastructure providers, many stakeholders shared their perspectives on scaling renewables. The high level of interest confirmed both the dynamism and potential of the Turkish renewable sector.
🔹 Our panel: Preparing distribution grids for tomorrow’s realities
A highlight of our participation was the session we hosted “Distribution Grids: Critical Infrastructure Planning”, on 9th October.
The discussion made one point clear: distribution grids are at the heart of the transition, but the transformation ahead is complex and capital-intensive.
Key themes included:
✅ Data as a bottleneck
Collecting reliable and granular data is still a major challenge. Speakers highlighted innovative approaches to obtaining, integrating and using data to inform planning and investment decisions — a prerequisite for modernising grids effectively.
✅ Digitalisation as a backbone
Digital tools are critical to forecasting consumption changes, integrating distributed generation, and responding to future shocks. Without digital infrastructure, resilience will remain out of reach.
✅ Future-proofing systems
The panel stressed the need to prepare for evolving consumption patterns and for the increasing risk of climate-related events. New planning models must reflect these realities.
✅ Financing remains the biggest hurdle
Even where innovation and vision exist, large-scale investment is still the deciding factor. Both Turkish and German experiences highlighted that capital will determine the pace of transformation.
Agenda of the session:
Welcoming words:
• Stefanie Seedig – Head of the Economic Department, German Embassy in Türkiye
Moderator:
• Lea-Valeska von Gall – Team Leader Grids International, German Energy Agency (dena)
Panelists:
• Gustav Weber – Senior Expert Electricity Grids, dena
• Volkan Yiğit – Partner, APLUS Enerji
• Dr. Philipp Ulbrich – CFO, Enerjisa
• Fakir Hüseyin Erdoğan – Secretary General, ELDER
Contributing to the EV transition
Later the same day, our colleague Christian W. Kürschner joined the session “Electric Vehicles and Charging Technologies”. He shared insights from the Turkish-German Energy Partnership on:
• How EU and German regulatory frameworks (e.g. AFIR, fleet emission standards) can enable investment, planning security and uptake
• The growing importance of electric trucks and their distinct charging needs
• The role of depot charging and coordinated rollout of MCS infrastructure
• Findings from the Turkish-German Energy Partnership‘s ongoing policy and infrastructure work
Looking ahead
Energy is Future gave us valuable inspiration, new contacts and insights into emerging challenges. Our discussions confirmed that the energy transition in Türkiye and Germany is gaining pace—but also that digitalisation, cross-border learning and long-term investment will be decisive in shaping resilient systems. We look forward to building on the ideas that emerged during the event.
