Several experts recently evaluated Türkiye's growing role as a gas hub and the country's push to curb dependency on foreign energy sources and expand renewables.
The global natural gas market is undergoing a significant transformation, Gergely Molnar, an analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA), said on Friday, highlighting Türkiye's growing role "as a key player, whether as a transit hub or a trading hub.”
The Istanbul Energy Forum, organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, gathered energy leaders from around the world to tackle shared challenges under the theme "Common Future, Common Goals."
Among the highlights of the event was the panel on "Prospects for New Technologies and Fuels in a Smart Energy Transition," moderated by Elif Düşmez Tek, president of the Energy Digitalization Association.
Molnar emphasized the transformative role of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Europe's energy mix, noting it has become the continent's new base load supply amid soaring gas prices and shifting global energy flows.
Although natural gas prices have eased from 2022 peaks, Molnar said they remain high, with European spot prices at $15/MMBtu (metric million British thermal units), triple the 2020 average.
"The market remains volatile due to tight fundamentals and geopolitical uncertainties," said Molnar.
In the meantime, global gas demand rose 2.8% in early 2024, with all-time highs expected in 2024-2025 as China and India lead demand growth, he said.
He said, however, that LNG supply growth lags at 2% for 2024, though it may accelerate to 6% in 2025.
Molnar highlighted Türkiye's growing role as a gas hub, citing investments in LNG import infrastructure and the Sakarya gas field, which is expected to supply 15 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year by 2028.
"Türkiye is well-positioned to become a key player, whether as a transit hub or a trading hub. The answer lies in the policy direction and regulatory framework adopted by Turkish authorities,” he said.
Bora Şekip Güray, director of the Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) at Sabancı University, outlined Türkiye's energy goals – enhancing energy security, advancing clean energy and ensuring sustainability.
"Sustainability includes clean energy, water use, the circular economy, and critical minerals," he said, emphasizing the need for balance among those objectives. Güray stressed that collaboration across sectors is vital to delivering secure, affordable, sustainable energy.
He noted Türkiye’s efforts in cutting reliance on imports by boosting domestic oil, gas and renewables, aligning with its climate goals of peaking emissions by 2038 and achieving net zero by 2052.
Güray highlighted the push for clean electrification, with electricity’s share in energy demand expected to hit 50% in 25 to 30 years, driven by renewables and nuclear power.
Kamil Cağatay Bayındır, chairperson of the Energy Storage Systems Association in Türkiye, stressed the importance of reducing energy import dependency while boosting renewable adoption and ensuring reliable power for the country’s growing needs.
"Our goal is to provide secure, reliable, affordable, clean and sustainable energy to all,” Bayındır said.
Türkiye currently imports about two-thirds of its energy needs, mainly fossil fuels. Bayındır noted the aim is to reduce the dependency by half in the next decade through increased domestic production and renewable energy expansion.
He emphasized the need to address energy intensity, noting progress with a 4% reduction in 2023.
Bayındır also highlighted the importance of electrification, predicting that electricity's share in the final energy demand could reach 50% in the next 25 to 30 years, supported by renewables and new technologies like electric mobility and heat pumps.
He called for investments in batteries, power grids and hydrogen to ensure stability, particularly for sectors that are hard to electrify.
He also stressed the importance of energy efficiency and digital tools in optimizing energy systems.
Sohbet Karbuz, director of hydrocarbons and energy security at the Mediterranean Observatory for Energy (OME), on the other hand, emphasized the need to consider the future of gas carefully and to invest significantly in this area.
Highlighting that natural gas is a rich fuel that plays a crucial role in the energy transition, so Karbuz pointed to "energy addition or energy transformation” rather than "energy transition.”
"Natural gas is not a transition fuel. It is a destination fuel. It will not go away. It is here to stay with us for a long time,” he said.
Alkım Bağ Güllü, director of the SHURA Energy Transition Center, pointed out the rising demand for energy and the increasing share of renewables within the energy mix, emphasizing the ambitious goals in this area.
Highlighting that the goal is to establish 120 gigawatts (GW) of power capacity by 2035, Güllü said: "Türkiye has a target of 7.5 gigawatts by 2035, but we have allocated a far larger capacity than that. So, as of today, approximately 35 gigawatts of battery energy storage capacity has been allocated to be integrated into wind and solar parts.”
