With regard to energy flows in both the East and the Mediterranean, Turkey has developed into a central hub. Gas pipelines, which provide Europe with an alternative to Russia, will certainly result in the establishment of a new center in the world of energy under Turkey’s direction.
The four natural gas pipelines in Turkey
1) Blue Stream, which transports 16 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually to Samsun Port.
2) A second gas pipeline connecting Iran to Turkey and serving Ankara and Eastern Anatolia, with an annual capacity of 10 billion cubic meters.
3) The Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), which traverses all of Anatolia and transports Azerbaijani gas to Puglia via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). Its carrying capacity, which currently covers all of Anatolia at 16 billion cubic meters annually, will rise to 23 billion cubic meters starting in 2019. However, two further treatments will considerably boost the pipeline’s capacity. The capacity will be increased to 31 billion cubic meters by the first intervention in 2026, and it will reach up to 60 billion cubic meters annually by the second intervention, which would be created if Turkmenistan develops a second pipeline to cross the Caspian Sea.
4) The primary energy infrastructure that transports Russian gas directly from Thrace to Bulgaria and other member states of the European Union is the fourth pipeline, with a capacity of 15.5 billion cubic meters.
Erdogan is popular
“The reasons why Russian President Vladimir Putin recommended Turkey as a major position as a gas energy hub for Europe, a suggestion that was promptly supported by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are clearly shown in his statement from October,” comments.
The EU is actually considering diversifying its supply by looking at Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan as well as the Near East among other choices, which will strengthen Turkey’s significance as a transit market. Through the reserves of Turkey and Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan’s enormous gas reserves, which total around 20 trillion cubic meters, can be further mined and transported to Europe. Another option might be to construct a brand-new, 200 km-long pipeline to transport gas from northern Iraq and connect it to the mains. Last but not least, the Sakarya natural gas resources, which were discovered in 2020 and have an estimated volume of 540 billion cubic meters, will be put into use the following year.
Because of these new deposits, Turkey has constructed its first energy facility in Sakarya, where Erdogan hopes to establish a benchmark natural gas market. The Turkish President further declared that Turkey is developing an innovative energy market that will let a variety of products to establish benchmark prices for the natural gas market under numerous contracts.
Turkey should boost the flow of the TANAP pipeline in order to become a regional energy hub, keeping in mind that it already has agreements with Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Algeria and that it is the third-largest net importer of gas in Europe after Germany and Italy.
Carbon-free by 2053
On the other hand, the article noted that the first tests on the national grid to mix natural gas with hydrogen have started in 2020 and that the first guidelines of a hydrogen strategy that should guarantee strong support for the decarbonization goals of the Turkish economy have been prepared. This was in reference to the fact that Turkey aims to play a leading role in the hydrogen game as well as natural gas. Turkey has pledged to have zero carbon emissions by the year 2053 with the adoption of the Paris Agreements in October 2021.
Turkey may have significant geopolitical and strategic significance in the production of hydrogen; in fact, Turkey plans to prioritize transforming existing pipelines in Europe as an export market for green hydrogen production. TAP and the connections between Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria in particular could perhaps transport hydrogen diluted with natural gas in the initial stage before switching to full hydrogen transit over time. However, total compressor system replacement is required for conversion to 100 percent hydrogen, which is not feasible as long as there is a need for natural gas from Europe.
According to the Mediterranean and European situation, Turkey plans to pursue its geopolitical and economic interests in natural gas and green hydrogen over the short and long terms. It has demonstrated that, despite competition from other companies, it is willing to keep a leadership role in local energy infrastructures. However, the latter ones are also meant to participate actively in the game.
