Turkey's energy breakthrough: New gas field and nuclear strides
Nuclear power plant and large gas hub—these two projects are set to make Turkey an energy-independent country. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently announced the discovery of a new gas field, which is expected to meet the country's household needs for about 3.5 years.
“We have discovered a new natural gas reserve of 75 billion cubic meters in the Black Sea,” President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday in Istanbul.
He stated that such an amount of natural gas would meet the needs of Turkish households for approximately 3.5 years.
Erdogan's global plan
Erdogan made these remarks during the inauguration of a hospital in the country's largest metropolis. He criticized environmentalists and emphasized that Turkey would soon have a new nuclear power plant. This is part of a larger plan—Turkey aims to become completely energy independent.
He added that despite the opposition of the fifth column wearing the masks of environmentalists, they have brought their country into another league thanks to the Akkuyu nuclear power plant project.
We will continue on our path without stopping, without resting, and without paying heed to criticism or obstacles until we reach our goal of a fully energy-independent Turkey, Erdogan assured.
The construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant began in 2018, and according to the latest government reports, the construction of the first reactor is 90% complete. It is expected to provide about 10% of the country's energy consumption. The project is managed by the Russian state corporation Rosatom. Russia remains its majority owner.
Erdogan is pursuing ambitious plans to build a large gas hub. Turkey already plays a significant role in the region. Through the two TurkStream export lines, it transports 494 billion cubic feet of gas to Europe. The maximum capacity of this route is 1.1 trillion cubic feet. Ankara is also developing its storage facilities and negotiating with Turkmenistan for new supplies that could flow through Turkey to Europe. It is also in talks with the USA regarding LNG supplies.
Erdogan thinks globally. However, to build a global gas distribution center, he needs access to new deposits and connections with other important players in the global market.
