August saw higher gas consumption with a 10.7 percent increase in natural gas imports compared to August 2016 to meet Turkey's electricity demand, according to Turkish energy watchdog data on Wednesday.
Turkey's total natural gas imports rose from 3.62 billion cubic meters (bcm) in August 2016 to 4.01 bcm in August 2017, Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) announced in its Natural Gas Market Report for August 2017.
Due to the heat wave this summer, Turkey hit a historic high electricity consumption record. In August 2017, electricity production facilities consumed 1.9 bcm of natural gas, 87.6 percent more than the previous August.
The country produced 31.16 percent of its electricity from natural gas in 2016, EMRA's 2016 data revealed.
The Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) became the second biggest consuming sector with 290 million cubic meters (mcm).
The country imported 3.48 bcm of natural gas via pipelines and 526 mcm through liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, EMRA's data shows.
Turkey's natural gas imports from Russia increased by 14.5 percent to 2.27 bcm in August 2017 compared to 1.98 bcm in August 2016.
The country's natural gas production rose from 28.8 million cubic meters (mcm) in August 2016 to 29.1 mcm in August 2017, the majority of which came from the northwestern Tekirdag province.
By Muhsin Baris Tiryakioglu
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr