Turkey has established the necessary natural gas storage capacities

Eng. Dimitar Shterev *

Turkey's energy regulator EMRA has introduced a new methodology for the Silivri UGS Underground Gas Storage, owned by the Turkish natural gas transmission and storage operator BOTAS, increasing the overall (cumulative) gas storage tariff by 16%. up to 29.3 Euro per 1000 m3 / year). Equalized on a monthly basis, the tariff for natural gas storage in Turkey is over 3.8 times higher than at the moment in Bulgaria.

Silivri UGS is built on the basis of the depleted gas fields North Marmara and Degirmenkoy and has a capacity (Active / Commercial gas) - 2.841 billion m3. The production capacity is 25 million m3 / day, and the injection capacity is 16 million m3 / day.

The EMRA regulator has also made significant changes in the tariff methodology, as it was developed for the Silivri UGS gas storage facility. In this regard, the requirement for annual revenue from the tariff for the period: 2020-2021 has been determined and new ceilings have been established for gas storage services.

With European funds, the Turkish Energy Regulator has developed a "Technical Assistance Project to improve tariff regulation for the Turkish Energy Market through the introduction of an improved monitoring system". / Technical Assistance for Improvement of Performance-Based Tariff Regulation of EMRA for Turkish Energy Markets through Introducing an Enhanced Monitoring System; EuropeAid / 139125 / IH / SER / TR; Project Identification No: EuropeAid /139125/IH/SER/TR./.

Along with the active tariff policy in the transmission and storage of natural gas, Turkey has been implementing an ambitious program for years to expand existing gas storage facilities and build new ones in the country.

Currently, there are 2 underground gas storage facilities in the country, as follows:

- Underground gas storage "Tuz Golu - 1", with capacity (or volume of Active Gas) - 1.2 billion m3, built in salt caverns (bodies);

- Underground gas storage Silivri (Marmara), with a capacity (or volume of Active Gas) - 2.841 billion m3, built on the basis of a depleted gas field.

Currently, the capacity of all gas storage facilities in Turkey (or the total volume of Active / Commercial Gas in them), together with the storage capacity built in the country's re-gasification terminals, exceeds 4.5 billion m3. This currently accounts for about 10% of Turkey's total annual natural gas consumption in recent years (45-50 billion m3).

Along with the achieved capacity of natural gas storage in underground gas storage facilities, Turkey is currently building new facilities as follows:

- Expansion of the Siliviri UGS gas storage with an additional capacity of 1.501 billion m3;

- Construction of a new gas storage "Tuz Golu - 2" with a capacity (or volume of active gas) - 5.0 billion m³. For the implementation of this project, in 2018 Turkey has secured financial resources in the form of loans of over 3 billion USD. $ provided by the World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and others;

- Construction of a new gas storage "Tarsus" with a capacity of 4.0 billion m3. The project is planned to be implemented with the participation of PJSC Gazprom.

According to the targeted plans of the Ministry of Energy of Turkey for years, at the end of 2025 the total capacity or volume of active gas stored in all underground gas storage facilities in the country, together with storage capacities in the built gasification LNG terminals, is expected. to exceed 10 billion m3.

In parallel with the construction and commissioning of the Turkish Stream, the Trans-Anatolian and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TANAP - TAP), Turkey is building the necessary storage capacity to secure these significant gas flows.

With a storage capacity of 10 billion m3, by 2025 Turkey will create favorable conditions for even better compensation for the uneven consumption of natural gas in the country, which (for our latitudes) varies from 10 to 20% or on average - 15% of annual consumption. Favorable conditions will be created for the maintenance of the necessary emergency and strategic reserve. All this will be done in practice through cyclical operation of the newly built and expanded underground gas storage facilities in the country.

Given the already implemented Turkish Stream 2, TANAP and TAP projects for the transit of natural gas through the country to Europe, by 2025 Turkey will be able to cover the emerging seasonal irregularities in gas supplies and these flows. .

* Eng. Dimitar Shterev holds a Master's degree from the Moscow University of Geology (MGRI), Moscow, Russia, majoring in Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology of Energy Investment Projects ”in the Energy Center, Dublin, Ireland and in the Reservoir Modeling and Simulation of the Operation of Underground Gas Storage and Gas Transmission Systems - in the offices of the International Oil and Gas Company Schlumberger, Hanover, Germany.

Since 1997 he has been working in Bulgartransgaz EAD in the field of natural gas storage and is engaged in optimizing the capacity of the Chiren Underground Gas Storage (Chiren UGS), as well as in its current safe operation, renovation and maintenance.

He has participated in the management, coordination, monitoring and implementation of various international gas projects - "South Stream" and "Nabucco", in the simulation of various possible options for the Bulgarian sections, as well as in projects funded by international institutions such as the Trade Agency and US development, the PHARE program - Cross-border cooperation, the European Union, etc. He has also worked on various hydrogeological, reservoir engineering, geothermal and geo-ecological projects.

In the period 2013 - 2015 he held the position of Head of the Natural Gas Storage Department, Bulgartransgaz EAD, Head Office, Sofia.

Dimitar Shterev is a member of the International Gas Union, Working Committee on "Underground Gas Storage".

Note: Part of the information was obtained from the independent Turkish energy monthly Enerji IQ on the development of the Energy Market in Turkey and the region. www.ceenenerji.com.tr/