Türkiye's gas imports from Azerbaijan rise as country diversifies energy sources

Azerbaijan has significantly boosted its natural gas exports to Türkiye in 2024, solidifying its role as a key energy supplier for the Turkish market.

According to a recent report from Türkiye's Energy Market Control and Regulatory Authority (EPDC), Azerbaijan exported a total of 9.47 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas to Türkiye from January to October 2024. This represents a notable 10% increase over the same period last year, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

In October alone, Azerbaijan exported 1.01 bcm of natural gas to Türkiye, marking a sharp 40.29% rise compared to October 2023. As a result, Azerbaijan accounted for 25.5% of Türkiye’s total natural gas imports in October, further cementing its position as one of Türkiye’s leading gas suppliers.

Azerbaijan’s growing role in Türkiye's energy mix is largely driven by natural gas produced from the Shah Deniz field, one of the world’s largest gas reserves, located in the Caspian Sea. Gas from this field is delivered to Türkiye through the Southern Gas Corridor, a vital energy infrastructure project that facilitates the transfer of Azerbaijani gas to Europe and beyond.

In total, Türkiye’s gas imports reached 3.95 bcm in October 2024, a 17.69% increase from the previous year. The majority of this supply, 3.59 bcm, came via pipeline gas, accounting for 90.73% of the total, while the remaining 366 million cubic meters (9.27%) were sourced from liquefied natural gas (LNG), although LNG supplies saw a decrease of 30.25% year-on-year.

While Azerbaijan was the second-largest supplier to Türkiye in October, Russia remained the top contributor, providing 43.3% of Türkiye’s total natural gas imports. Iran came third with 21.9%, and Algeria, which supplies LNG, ranked fourth with 9.3%.

The increased exports from Azerbaijan align with Türkiye's efforts to diversify its energy sources and reduce its dependence on other suppliers, particularly Russia. Azerbaijan’s gas, especially from the Shah Deniz field's Stage-1 and Stage-2 developments, plays a crucial role in this strategy, as the country continues to expand its energy exports to Türkiye and European markets.

By Tamilla Hasanova