Demand for gas transmission line ‘remains weak’ in districts

LONDON - Reuters

Turkish Energy Minister Yıldız says only eight districts applied to BOTAŞ for natural gas transmission line. Reuters photo

Despite the Turkish Ministry of Energy’s aims to extend natural gas pipelines through the country, their incitement efforts in some fields have not seen results yet.

Energy Minister Taner Yıldız stated that they issued a cabinet decree six months ago that said if 60 percent of electricity subscribers in a district where more than 10,000 people are living applied, the state-owned Turkish Pipeline Company (BOTAŞ) would bring a natural gas transmission line there.

“Unfortunately, only eight districts applied (to BOTAŞ). We think that we were not able to make it public enough. We targeted about 200 districts that have more than a 10,000 person population, but we only saw eight districts that met the requirements,” he said during a meeting about natural gas markets in Istanbul, attended by energy sector representatives.

In this regard, the applications from the other districts will be evaluated to provide a similar service, he said.

Yıldız said BOTAŞ brought natural gas transmission lines to 72 provinces as the tender for gas distribution was being organized by Turkey’s energy watchdog EPDK. But the EPDK has a program the remaining nine provinces and they will bring natural gas there, despite weak demand. He said 83 percent of the population benefited from natural gas in Turkey. 

The minister said they needed to raise the natural gas use share in industry. Also, the natural gas share in electricity production should be decreased to 30 percent, a reasonable level, while it fell from 53 percent to 43 percent in the last decade.