Russian gas supplies via TurkStream hit historic highs

Russian natural gas supplies to Europe via the TurkStream pipeline have once again reached a historic record, according to calculations by Russian state news agency TASS based on data from the European Network of Gas Transmission System Operators (ENTSOG). 

Between February 3 and 9, gas flow through the Strandzha-2 compressor station on the Türkiye-Bulgaria border—an onshore extension of the TurkStream pipeline—exceeded 390 million cubic meters, Caliber.Az reports.

This marks the highest weekly volume since the pipeline's inauguration in January 2020. The previous record, set between January 13 and 19, stood at 376 million cubic meters.

Additionally, daily gas deliveries via the pipeline broke previous records multiple times last week, culminating in a new peak of 56.7 million cubic meters on February 10.

Recent developments have significantly impacted Europe's receipt of Russian gas supplies via the TurkStream pipeline. On January 1, 2025, Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas through its territory after a prewar deal expired, aiming to deprive Moscow of revenue used to finance its war efforts.

In response, countries heavily reliant on Russian gas have sought alternative routes. Slovakia, for instance, began receiving Russian gas through the TurkStream pipeline via Türkiye and Hungary starting February 1, 2025. The volumes are expected to double in April.

Hungary has also increased its gas imports via TurkStream. By October 2024, Hungary had received more than 5.7 billion cubic meters of gas through this route, surpassing the total amount received in the previous year.

The TurkStream pipeline, operational since 2020, has a capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters and runs from Russia through the Black Sea to Türkiye, supplying gas to Türkiye and countries in southern and southeastern Europe. In 2024, deliveries via TurkStream increased by 23% to 16.7 billion cubic meters, underscoring its growing importance in the European energy landscape.

By Khagan Isayev