TurkStream

TurkStream
Map of TurkStream
Location
Country Russia
Turkey
From Russkaya compressor station near Anapa, Krasnodar Krai, Russia
Passes through Black Sea
Kıyıköy, Turkey
To Lüleburgaz, Kırklareli Province, Turkey
General information
Type natural gas
Partners Gazprom
Contractors Allseas
Construction started 2017
Expected Q4 2019
Technical information
Length 1,090 km (680 mi)
Maximum discharge 31.5×10^9 m3/a (1.11×10^12 cu ft/a)

TurkStream (originally: Turkish Stream, Turkish: TürkAkım or Türk Akımı) is a natural gas pipeline currently under construction from Russia to Turkey. It would run from Russkaya compressor station near Anapa in Krasnodar Region across the Black Sea to Kıyıköy on the Turkish Thrace coast. It is replacing the cancelled South Stream project.[1]

Following the shootdown of a Russian fighter jet by Turkey in November 2015, the project was temporarily halted. However, Russia–Turkey relations were restored in summer 2016 and the intergovernmental agreement for TurkStream was signed in October 2016. Construction started in May 2017.

History

The first direct gas pipeline between Russia and Turkey was the Blue Stream, commissioned in 2005. In 2009, Putin proposed a Blue Stream II line parallel to Blue Stream under the Black Sea.[2] The Blue Stream II project did not carry through and the South Stream project took the lead, until it was abandoned in 2014. The TurkStream (then named Turkish Stream) project was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 1 December 2014, during his state visit to Turkey.[1]

In November 2015, after the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Russia's Economic Development Minister stated that the TurkStream gas pipeline project falls under the restrictive measures against Turkey. Talks on the project were unilaterally suspended by the Russian side.[3] On 5 December 2015, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey terminated the TurkStream project, on the grounds of Russian "non-compliance" with Turkish demands surrounding the project.[4] In late July 2016, following a reconciliation meeting in Moscow, both sides brought the project back on table.[5][6] On 10 October 2016, Russia and Turkey officially signed the intergovernmental agreement in Istanbul, confirming commitment in the execution of the project.[7]

Contract with a offshore contractor Allseas for laying the first line was signed on 8 December 2016 and for the second line on 20 February 2017.[8] Laying of the first line in the Russian offshore section started on 7 May 2017.[9] On 6 March 2018, the company announced that it has installed more than a half of the offshore pipeline.[10] As of September 6th, its about 81%.[11]

Technical features

The pipeline begins at the Russkaya compressor station near Anapa. It runs approximately 910 kilometres (570 mi) offshore.[8] The landing point in Turkey is Kıyıköy, a village in the district of Vize in Kırklareli Province at northwestern Turkey. From there, 180-kilometre-long (110 mi) pipeline will run to Lüleburgaz.[12]

The pipeline has two lines with a total capacity of 31.5 billion cubic metres per annum (1.11 trillion cubic feet per annum) of natural gas.[13] Both lines are using pipes with an outer diameter of 32 inches (810 mm). Its estimated total cost is €11.4 billion.[8]

The project is implemented by South Stream Transport B.V., a subsidiary of Gazprom, which was originally established for implementation of the South Stream project.[8] In the near-shore areas the pipeline was laid the pipe-laying vessel Audacia. For the deep part of the Black Sea the pipe-laying vessel Pioneering Spirit is used.[9][10] The pipeline will be installed in water depths up to 7,220 feet (2,200 m).

Market

Turkey is expected to consume about 15.75 billion cubic metres per annum (556 billion cubic feet per annum), the rest of the gas is planned be brought to the Greek–Turkish border to be exported by connecting pipelines to Europe.[14] However, there are concerns that there is not enough capacity to transport this amount from the Greek–Turkish border further to Europe.[15] According to the European Commissioner for Energy Maroš Šefčovič the proposed pipeline exceeds demands of possible customers.[16] The planned follow-on projects to bring Russian gas from TurkStream into Europe include the Tesla Pipeline, to run from Greece to Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary, ending at the Baumgarten gas hub in Austria;[17] and Eastring, planned to carry gas north via Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.[18] Early 2016, Gazprom signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DEPA SA for natural gas deliveries to Europe via Interconnector Turkey–Greece–Italy,[19] a southern route to run from Greece to Italy.

On May 2018, Gazprom and BOTAS announced an agreement to construct the land portion of the Euro-bound Turkish stream pipeline, whereas deep water portion’s construction is to be completed by Gazprom. The first gas flow is expected to start in December 2019.[20][21]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Russia drops South Stream gas pipeline plan". BBC News. 2014-12-01. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
  2. ↑ Socor, Vladimir (2009-08-11). "Gazprom, Turkey Revive and Reconfigure Blue Stream Two". Eurasia Daily Monitor. The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  3. ↑ Gotev, Georgi (2015-11-27). "Erdogan fumes at Russia's 'restrictive measures' after jet downing". EURACTIV. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
  4. ↑ "Turkey has shelved Turkish Stream gas pipeline project, says President Erdoğan". Hürriyet Daily News. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Russian, Turkish officials discuss restoring economic, trade ties". Hürriyet Daily News. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Geropoulos, Kostis (29 July 2016). "Moving closer together, Putin, Erdogan push Turkish Stream". New Europe. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  7. ↑ "Turkey, Russia Sign Gas Pipeline Deal as Ties Improve". ABC News. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Gazprom plans to begin laying Turkish Stream in summer". ITAR-TASS. 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
  9. 1 2 "Gazprom has started construction of the offshore section of Turkish stream". Russia News Today. RIA Novosti. 2017-05-07. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
  10. 1 2 "Half of TurkStream offshore section installed: Company". Hürriyet Daily News. 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  11. ↑ "Management Committee reviews progress of TurkStream project". www.gazprom.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  12. ↑ "Gazprom agrees on 180-km land section of Turkish Stream gas pipeline between Kiyikoy, Epsila". Interfax. 2015-02-08. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Launch date of Turkish Stream not to differ much from South Stream schedule – Gazprom". ITAR-TASS. 2015-01-16. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
  14. ↑ Paul, Amanda (2015-01-24). "Game on for 'Turkish Stream'". Today's Zaman. Archived from the original on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
  15. ↑ Panin, Alexander (2015-01-21). "Russia's New Turkish Stream Gas Strategy More Bark Than Bite". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
  16. ↑ Panin, Alexander (2015-01-23). "EU Energy Chief Says Russia's Turkish Stream Gas Project Won't Work". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
  17. ↑ Geropoulos, Kostis (20 August 2015). "Russia Pushes Tesla Pipeline Through Balkans". New Europe.
  18. ↑ "Hungary wants Russia's Turkish Stream pipeline to be extended into Europe – Orban". RT International. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  19. ↑ "Gazprom, DEPA and Edison sign Memorandum of Understanding". www.gazprom.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  20. ↑ "Turkey & Gazprom agree on construction of land portion of Europe-bound Turkish Stream". RT International. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  21. ↑ "Russia's Gazprom signs protocol with Turkey on TurkStream gas pipeline". Retrieved 2018-05-30.
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