Türkiye eyes to increase gas storage volumes

Türkiye intends to greatly increase the capacity of its underground gas storage facilities.

The total volume of the existing Silivri and Lake Tuz underground natural gas storage facilities is planned to be increased by more than twofold up to 12 billion cubic metres (bcm) by 2028, Prime agency reports citing the data from the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Gazeta.ru reports.

Currently, there are 4.6 bcm of gas in the Silivri gas storage facility near Istanbul and 1.2 bcm in Lake Tuz in Aksaray province. Thus, the total capacity of the Turkish underground gas storage facilities will increase by 6.2 bcm or 159 per cent by the end of the five-year period.

According to the ministry, BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation has already begun to expand capacity. Thus, a new wind power plant with a capacity of 4.2 MW will be commissioned in Silivri to supply energy to the storage facility till late 2023. The construction of a 30 MW solar station has begun in Lake Tuz.

Türkiye may also accumulate big reserves of natural gas through the possible export of liquefied fuel to Europe due to an increase in storage capacity, which is envisaged by the law recently approved by parliament.