Turkey ups gas purchase from Azerbaijan, decreases from Russia
By Fatma Babayeva
Turkey has increased volume of natural gas it buys from Azerbaijan while reducing gas purchases from Russia.
Azerbaijan exported 1.71 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey in the first quarter of 2016 as compared to 1.69 billion cubic meters exported in January to March 2015, said the report of the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK).
In the meantime, Russia’s exports to Turkey amounted to 6.35 billion cubic meters of gas during the first quarter of 2016, compared to 7.5 billion cubic meters exported in the first three months of 2015, told the report.
EPDK noted in its report that Azerbaijan supplied 6.17 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey in 2015 versus 6.07 billion cubic meters in 2014. The country’s share in Turkey's total gas imports was 13 percent in the first three months of 2016. Azerbaijan is the third largest supplier of natural gas to Turkey after Russia and Iran.
Meanwhile, in 2015, Russia supplied to Turkey 26.78 billion cubic meters of natural gas compared to almost 27 billion cubic meters of gas export in 2014. The share of Russian gas in total imports of Turkey totaled 48.2 percent in January to March of 2016.
Overall, Turkey imported 13.17 billion cubic meters of gas in Q1 2016, according to the report. 10.24 billion cubic meters of this volume were imported via pipelines while 2.93 billion cubic meters accounted for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports.
Nigeria and Algeria are also suppliers of natural gas to Turkey.
Turkey imports gas from Azerbaijan via the South Caucasus Pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum) while gas deliveries from Russia are carried out via Blue Stream and Trans-Balkan pipeline.
Blue Stream - the gas pipeline with capacity of 16 billion cubic meters per year - runs under the Black Sea and ensures direct delivery of gas from Russia to Turkish consumers.
In addition, Turkey has a contract for the annual purchase of 6.6 billion cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan's offshore Shah Deniz gas and condensate field.
Recently, Turkey has been trying to diversify its gas supply routes since its relations with Russia got tense after Russian fighter jet along was shut down in the Turkish-Syrian border in November, 2015. The construction of the Turkish Stream has also been suspended as a result of the mentioned event.
Moreover, Turkey is implementing program to increase share of renewable, especially solar power in electricity production in the coming decade.
The country aims to become a gas hub in the region. Additionally, Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) - the Turkish leg of the Southern Gas Corridor which envisages transfer of the Caspian gas to Europe- will contribute enhancing Turkey’s energy security and increase its role as transit country.
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Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva
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