Increased natural gas consumption fueled by power generation triggered a 25.13 percent jump in Turkey's natural gas imports year-on-year in November 2017, according to Turkish energy watchdog data on Thursday.
Turkey's total natural gas imports rose to 5.44 billion cubic meters (bcm) in November 2017 from 4.35 bcm in November 2016, Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) announced in its Natural Gas Market Report for November 2017.
Turkey's natural gas consumption soared by 20.54 percent to 5.32 bcm during the same period from 4.41 bcm the previous year, fueled by increasing electricity demand. Due to the production decline in hydroelectric power plants in recent months, Turkey increased the production of natural gas combined cycle plants.
In November 2017, electricity production facilities consumed 1.97 bcm of natural gas, 149.3 percent more than the previous November.
The country had produced 31.16 percent of its electricity from natural gas in 2016, EMRA's 2016 data revealed.
Households became the second biggest consuming sector with 1.28 bcm in November 2017.
The country imported 4.04 bcm of natural gas via pipeline and 1.40 bcm through liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, EMRA's data shows.
Turkey's natural gas imports from Russia increased by 5.40 percent to 2.67 bcm in November 2017 compared to 2.54 bcm in November 2016.
The country's natural gas production rose from 27.9 million cubic meters (mcm) in October 2016 to 29.1 mcm in October 2017, the majority of which came from the northwestern Tekirdag province.
By Muhsin Baris Tiryakioglu
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr