Turkey ranks as 7th biggest gas-consuming country globally in 2020
ISTANBUL-Anadolu Agency
Turkey ranked as the seventh biggest gas-consuming country in the world with 47.7 billion cubic meters (bcm) of consumption last year, according to data of the Natural Gas Distribution Companies Association of Turkey (GAZBİR) on May 25.
The U.S. was the top country, consuming 863 bcm in 2020, followed by Canada with 132.4 bcm, Japan with 112.1 bcm, Germany with 89.3 bcm, the U.K. with 73.3 bcm, and Italy with 70.9 bcm.
Confinement measures against COVID-19 resulted in a 2.8 percent fall in global gas consumption to 3.9 trillion cubic meters last year. The six biggest consuming countries also echoed this trend, showing year-on-year declines in 2020.
However, Turkey's natural gas consumption grew by 6.5 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year with imports of 48 bcm, Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory data showed. Russia was the top gas supplier to Turkey, exporting 16.2 bcm, followed by Azerbaijan and Iran.
Around 30 percent of Turkish gas imports were in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from several sources, including the U.S., Qatar, Norway, Algeria and Nigeria.
Household gas consumption up 7 pct
The growth in Turkey's natural gas consumption last year was driven by household gas usage, which increased 7 percent compared to 2019. An increase was also seen in gas usage in power plants, which took a greater share in overall power generation from the shortfall in hydroelectricity generation from draughts, particularly in the second half of the year.
Natural gas consumption from combined gas power plants increased by 21 percent in 2020, while industrial gas consumption also rose by 3 percent during the same period.
Household consumption accounted for 32.3 percent, power plants comprised 28.6 percent and the industrial sector constituted 26.7 percent of gas consumption, with the remaining percentage was used by the service sector and other institutions.
The total number of natural gas subscribers reached 17.5 million in Turkey last year.
The average household gas consumption in Turkey amounted to around 964 cubic meters in 2020, paying an average annual gas bill of 1,990 Turkish liras.
Turkey’s eastern province of Hakkari saw the highest gas consumption per household at 1,484 cubic meters, followed by Ardahan, Kars, Ağrı and Erzurum in the east.
The lowest gas consumption per household was recorded in Antalya, Mersin, Osmaniye, Muğla and Hatay in the south.
Last year, investments in the natural gas distribution sector reached 1.2 billion liras.
