Turkey unveils 5-year strategic energy plan

In its new plan for 2010-2014, Turkey plans to increase power generation using domestic resources, diversify natural gas suppliers, increase the amount of oil pumped to Turkey's oil hub Ceyhan and begin construction of nuclear power plant by the year 2014.

As of end-2009, Turkey had oil reserves which could meet consumption for a year and natural gas reserves enough for two months, the ministry report said.

Turkey's producible oil reserves are estimated at around 39.4 million tons and natural gas reserves are 6.1 billion cubic meters. Turkey's annual oil consumption is around 31.1 million tons and natural gas consumption is nearly 36 billion cubic meters.

Turkey makes natural gas imports from five supplier countries. Turkey supplies two thirds of its natural gas need from Russia. However, Turkish government wants to reduce its dependence on Russia and plans to cut Russian stake in Turkey's gas imports to below 50 percent in a bid to diversify suppliers.

Turkey also plans to rise its oil production thanks to its projects launched to explore oil and natural gas in the Black and the Mediterranean.

According to strategic energy plan, Turkey plans to extend the duration of a crude oil pipeline deal with Iraq, finalize negotiations on Nabucco pipeline project deal this year, commence construction of the Nabucco pipeline in 2011, launch the project to connect natural gas networks of Turkey and Syria in 2011. The governments also aims to make Ceyhan, a port in the southern part of the country, a wholly-integrated oil hub by the year 2015. The amount of oil pumped to Ceyhan is expected to reach 500 million barrels a year.

On electricity, Turkish government plans to complete construction of several coal-fired thermal power plants and hydropower plants throughout the country by 2013. Planned power plants have a total capacity of 8,500 megawatts.

One of government's priority is to start construction of country's first nuclear power plant by 2014 and increase the ratio of renewable energy resources to 30 percent in total energy generation by 2023.

According to government's plans on energy-efficiency, Turkey will save 10 percent energy by 2015 and 20 percent by 2023.


/Trend News/