TEİAŞ Plans New 400/154 kV Havza Substation in Ankara

Turkish transmission system operator TEİAŞ has designated a project site in the Bala district of Ankara for a major transmission node known as the Havza Substation. Positioned between local settlements in rural Ankara, the facility will establish a vital link between the 400 kV extra-high-voltage transmission backbone and the 154 kV regional network.

The Anatolian grid relies heavily on 400 kV lines to wheel bulk electricity across long distances, while 154 kV circuits distribute that power toward municipal centres, industrial zones, and regional distribution feeders. By introducing a new 400/154 kV autotransformer hub in Bala, TEİAŞ addresses multiple operational needs simultaneously. The development provides voltage regulation for Central Anatolia, alleviates thermal loading on neighbouring substations, and establishes essential bay capacity for future power evacuation.

As renewable generation expands across rural Ankara and surrounding provinces, available capacity on existing 154 kV circuits has become increasingly constrained. Substation nodes that step down directly from 400 kV to 154 kV serve as essential offramps and collection hubs. They prevent local bottlenecks from curtailing generation while improving system inertia and short-circuit levels across the surrounding grid.

For engineering teams and grid planners, the implementation of such extra-high-voltage infrastructure requires careful management of equipment logistics and grid outages. The deployment of heavy autotransformers and associated switchgear requires extensive site preparation, foundation engineering, and coordination with national dispatch. Nearby generation assets must plan around commissioning schedules and line cut-in outages when the new facility connects to existing overhead lines.

What this means for asset owners in Türkiye: Independent power producers, industrial plants, and distribution network operators in Türkiye face operational constraints during line integration, but gain substantial headroom once commissioning completes. Asset managers should monitor the construction schedule to anticipate planned outage windows on intersecting 154 kV lines and prepare grid-connection applications for newly available bay allocations.