More than 40% of TANAP capacity remains unused, says Turkish minister

More than 40% of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) capacity remains unused, Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said at the 31st Baku Energy Forum.

He stressed that the key priority today is to make more efficient use of existing energy infrastructure, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“We have repeatedly spoken about the Iraq–Türkiye oil pipeline on various platforms. Today, if we can fully utilise the existing infrastructure, there is potential to transport up to 1.5 million barrels of oil per day,” the minister noted.

Bayraktar added that with relatively small investments, the capacity of existing infrastructure could be further increased.

“For example, we can extend the Iraq–Türkiye oil pipeline from Kirkuk to Basra and thus enable it to operate at full capacity. These are projects we can develop,” he said.

The minister also highlighted the need for investment in new infrastructure projects in both the pipeline sector and electricity transmission.

He noted that the electricity interconnector linking Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and Bulgaria, with access to the European market, could in the future be extended to Central Asia.

“In this way, we could create an energy equivalent of the TANAP project. This would significantly expand the connectivity of our energy systems,” Bayraktar said.

He emphasised that such initiatives require strong political will, commitment, and effective leadership.

The Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) is a major component of the Southern Gas Corridor, designed to transport natural gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field across Türkiye to Europe.

The pipeline runs from the Georgia–Türkiye border through Türkiye and connects to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) at the Greek border, forming a continuous export route to European markets.

By Jeyhun Aghazada