Türkiye should not face natural gas shortage in winter: Minister

BİLECİK

Türkiye should not face any natural gas problems this winter if suppliers stick to their delivery schedules, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fahrettin Dönmez has said.

There is an energy crisis in Europe which also have repercussions for Türkiye, Dönmez said in a speech he delivered at an inauguration ceremony of a factory in the northwestern province of Bilecik’s Osmaneli district.

Soaring energy prices around the world have inevitably affected Türkiye, but the government provides subsidies to help consumers pay their bills, he added.

Türkiye is prepared for winters with gas flows from pipelines, its LNG stocks and underground storage facilities, the minister said. “We will pass this winter without any problems if suppliers stick to their delivery programs. We are subsidizing 80 percent of natural gas bills.”

Last week, Dönmez said that Türkiye was holding talks with Oman for the natural gas trade.

The minister said he engaged in intense diplomatic efforts for energy last month, visiting several countries.

“In Oman, we held talks on natural gas trade, and they looked favorably upon the issue. We will act when commercial conditions are appropriate,” he said.

Natural gas storage volume rose by 4.54 percent to 2.7 billion cubic meters in June, according to the latest data from the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK).

In his speech in Bilecik, the minister recalled that the government also has taken measures to increase efficiency, providing loans of up to 50,000 Turkish Liras for heat insulation work at apartment buildings and offering incentives and other support to industrial companies for energy efficiency.