Türkiye plans LNG exports to Europe from surplus gas imports

Türkiye intends to export excess imported natural gas to Europe in liquefied form, as announced by Alparslan Bayraktar, the head of the Republic's Ministry of Energy, during an interview on Haberturk TV channel.

Bayraktar highlighted the recent adoption of a relevant draft law by the Turkish Parliament, providing a legal framework for gas exportation in the form of LNG instead of relying solely on pipelines. This initiative will enable Türkiye to liquefy surplus gas for export to various countries.

With Türkiye currently ranking as Europe's fourth-largest gas market, receiving over 50 billion cubic meters annually, Bayraktar emphasized the nation's capacity to handle 70-80 billion cubic meters of gas annually due to significant infrastructure investments. Notably, Türkiye has commenced natural gas exports to Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia for the first time.

According to data from Türkiye's Energy Market Regulatory Authority, the country imported 50.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2023, with approximately 30% of it arriving in LNG form. Experts anticipate this proportion to increase to 40% in the foreseeable future.