Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said, “Turkey will have approximately 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas storage capacity by 2028. This means we can store about 20% of our consumption.”
Accompanied by others, Bayraktar visited the workers at the Tuz Lake Underground Natural Gas Storage Facility as part of the May 1st Labor and Solidarity Day program and received information from officials.
After the facility tour, Bayraktar told reporters that having a strong infrastructure is one of the most important conditions for being a natural gas center or trading center.
Emphasizing that Turkey has the fourth largest natural gas market in Europe, Bayraktar said:
“In other words, your domestic market needs to be very strong. Our natural gas consumption is present in 860 settlements and over 200 organized industrial zones. Therefore, you need to have a strong demand and consumption side. Therefore, when you design all this infrastructure, and of course, you also need connections with neighboring countries in the region. We have access to the European consumption point via both Bulgaria and Greece. We are conducting these studies. In this sense, we are now producing our own gas and we will increase this even more. With all these increasing gas sources and supply points, we have become a gas supplier country to Europe. We are making natural gas trade agreements, implementing them not only with neighboring countries but also with countries that are not our neighbors.”
Bayraktar reminded that the current capacity of the Tuz Lake Underground Natural Gas Storage Facility is 1.2 billion cubic meters.
Stressing that they will increase this capacity to 3.5 billion cubic meters in the first stage, Bayraktar continued:
“Immediately after that, we aim to increase it to 5.4 billion cubic meters with an additional 1.9 billion cubic meters in the next 4 years with the investments we will make. We also aim to increase Silivri to 6 billion cubic meters. Therefore, when you add it, Turkey will have approximately 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas storage capacity by 2028. This means we can store about 20% of our consumption. Not only the current capacity of this depot, but also the daily gas feeding capacity is important. Currently, Tuz Lake has 40 million cubic meters. With the capacity increase, it will reach 80 million cubic meters. We will also reach 80 million in Silivri, so I am talking about 160 million cubic meters of daily capacity. When you add the initial 10 million cubic meters of Black Sea gas, you will find 170 million cubic meters. Even on the coldest winter day, Turkey will have the infrastructure to supply the gas we use in our homes only from our storage facilities and the gas we produce in the Black Sea.”
“We will make Turkey a natural gas center”
Bayraktar emphasized the importance of this facility in Tuz Lake for Turkey’s natural gas supply security.
Stating that Turkey’s natural gas demand continues to increase within the scope of its increasing production, exports, and growing economy, Bayraktar continued:
“With approximately 51 billion cubic meters of annual consumption, Turkey is the fourth largest natural gas country in Europe. Turkey met almost all of its natural gas usage through imports for many years. We have realized our infrastructure investments that can receive both pipeline and liquid energy. Beyond that, we made storage investments. One of our most important projects is the underground natural gas storage project we are currently in. There are both capacity increase, second phase, and third phase projects here. We aim to increase Turkey’s natural gas storage capacity and strengthen our natural gas supply security. Also, now we have started to produce our own natural gas. As of today, our production has reached about 4.6 billion cubic meters, and we are able to meet the natural gas needs of 1.8 million households. We aim to increase this even further. Hopefully, by the first quarter of 2025, we will reach 10 million cubic meters.”
Bayraktar stated that as of today, Turkey stores approximately 5.8 billion cubic meters of gas, and by 2028, it will be able to store 20% of its natural gas consumption.
Pointing out that there is a very large storage potential in Tuz Lake, Bayraktar said, “We can have the infrastructure to store 50% of Turkey’s natural gas needs. We aim to make these investments. With all these, along with our own production and natural gas from different sources, we will make Turkey a natural gas center.”