What happened
Dicle Elektrik has reported TL278.6 million in research and development expenditure for 2025. Enerji Günlüğü, citing the Turkishtime AR-GE 500 survey, said this was the largest R&D outlay among Türkiye’s 21 electricity distribution companies. The company was ranked 186th across the national survey.
The distributor said it entered the study as a company that discloses its data transparently. Its R&D activity covers initiatives intended to improve field operations and network management, alongside software, smart-grid and digitalisation projects.
For organisations tracking grid upgrades in southeast Türkiye, the reported R&D spending, network-loss figures and lighting conversions provide indicators to follow in future company disclosures.
Why it matters
Dicle Elektrik operates in Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Batman, Şırnak and Siirt. Its reported investment programme therefore offers a view of the technologies being deployed across a large regional distribution area, particularly digital monitoring and smart-grid systems.
The company said its loss-and-leakage rate moved from 76% at the time of privatisation to 35% over 13 years, a reduction of 41 percentage points. It reported a 16% rate in city and district centres. These figures are company-reported and the source does not provide a separate methodology for assessing the change.
Investment context
Over the same 13-year period, Dicle Elektrik said it invested more than TL85 billion in infrastructure and improvement works. In addition to conventional network investment, it identified R&D, software, smart grids and digital projects as areas of focus.
Lighting is another part of the programme. Based on TEDAŞ data cited by Enerji Günlüğü, the company had converted more than 39,000 LED lighting fittings in its service territory by the end of 2025. It was reported to lead the 21 distributors on that measure.
What to watch
Dicle Elektrik said it intends to maintain investment in R&D, smart-grid technologies and modern lighting. No future expenditure target or delivery schedule was specified in the reported material.
