File photo
Russia's energy company Gazprom will extend the TurkStream natural gas pipeline's second string to Bulgaria, according to Russian newspaper Kommersant on Thursday.
Kommersant claimed that Russian gas would flow from Turkey to Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary and Slovakia.
The start of natural gas deliveries to Bulgaria and Serbia is expected in 2020, and it is anticipated that gas flows to Hungary will begin in 2021. This route option through these countries means that natural gas deliveries via Ukraine would be avoided.
The world's largest pipe laying vessel, the Pioneering Spirit, completed the deep-water offshore construction of the TurkStream natural gas pipeline on Monday.With the Turkish and Russian presidents doing the honors, the last offshore section of this landmark natural gas pipeline was put into place on Nov. 19."The TurkStream natural gas pipeline project will be ready to operate in 2019 after tests are carried out," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s president, said at a ceremony in Istanbul marking the completion of TurkStream’s offshore section.Allseas, the company that owns the ship, aimed at having the most technologically advanced construction vessel in the world, the Pioneering Spirit, which is not only designed for pipe laying but also for the installation and decommissioning of oil and gas platforms.During the pipe laying of the two lines of the TurkStream project, 1,860 kilometers (1155.75 miles) of pipes were laid in the Black Sea.The vessel laid 6.27 km (app. 3.9 miles) of pipes in one day on Aug. 26, a new world record that by far surpassed the daily average record of four km.Construction of the offshore section of the project commenced in May in the Black Sea near the Russian coast.The Audacia vessel, also owned by Allseas, -- which undertook the construction for both strings of the gas pipeline's offshore section -- carried out the pipe laying while the Pioneering Spirit initiated the project's deep sub-sea water construction.The Pioneering Spirit has a maximum speed of 14 knots, can accommodate 571 employees at any given time, has 288 cabins, 13 floors, and an installed power capacity of 95,000 kilowatts.The vessel's dimensions reflect its singularity as its size corresponds to that of six Boeing 747s while having the ability to lift the equivalent of 2.5 Eiffel Towers at the same time.As befitting such a colossal vessel, even in the event of massive waves, the vessel remains stable in laying pipes one at a time every eight minutes.The vessel, of which its construction started in 2012, is among a fleet of other Allseas enormous vessels including the Solitaire, Audacia and Lorelay.However, it is not all work and no play as the crew from over 40 countries has recreational areas with PlayStation, television screens and facilities for various activities, such as ping-pong and foosball.The catering crew serves between 1,500 and 2,000 meals daily on board, while 250 kilograms of rice and 11,000 eggs are consumed per week.The majority of the fruit and vegetables, milk and canned goods are supplied from Turkey.During the pipe laying work, the captain expertly navigated the vessel to avoid the newly discovered aircraft wrecks and archeological pieces of interest on the seabed while ensuring that no undue delays were made in their work.The Pioneering Spirit made its debut offshore mission in August 2016 with the removal of a mobile production platform from Norwegian waters.The TurkStream pipeline is the vessel's maiden pipe laying project. It commenced deep-water pipe laying operations in late June 2017 and has been working exclusively for the TurkStream project ever since.The pipeline's second string will transfer gas to Europe via Turkey. Discussion between Gazprom and Bulgaria and Greece are ongoing to determine the destination point for the second line.The project, with a total capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters, is enough to meet the energy needs of 15 million households.The Swiss-based Allseas Group has executed nearly 300 projects worldwide, installing more than 21,500 km of subsea pipeline in water depths ranging from five meters to 2,730 meters.
TurkStream's giant pipelaying vessel: Pioneering Spirit
Ukraine, along with some European countries, opposes the TurkStream project's second line as they consider that it will contribute to an increase in Russia's monopoly in the European gas market.
The newly proposed route follows the same course as that of the canceled South Stream project in 2014.
Although objections to the project in Europe are likely to continue, the Russian company is in compliance with the EU's competition law. This law promotes the maintenance of competition within the European Single Market by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies to ensure that they do not create cartels and monopolies that would damage the interests of society.
The TurkStream, consisting two lines, will have a total capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters.
Turkey will receive 15.75 bcm of the gas while the remaining capacity will be sent to Europe.
The TurkStream natural gas pipeline project will help Turkey’s aim of becoming a natural gas trading hub, according to Fatih Dönmez, Turkey’s energy and natural resources minister on Monday.Dönmez, speaking at the commemoration ceremony for the completion of the project's sea section with the participation of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, hailed the project as the opening of a new page for Turkey’s energy market.Dönmez said that Turkey's aim to become an energy hub country is supported through strong political will and stability in the country."Turkey aims to become an energy center, where buyers and sellers meet and where prices are determined," he said adding that the country is taking important steps for this goal via the TurkStream project, which he said would be a uniting factor in the countries where the gas is transferred.Russia's Gazprom says offshore part of TurkStream is completeHe asserted that Turkey has acted as a good partner and neighbor in its immediate region in projects of mutual interest to provide secure energy supplies as in the TurkStream project.Turkey is the fourth biggest natural gas market in Europe with an annual consumption of 55 billion cubic meters. The country also has a greater capacity for gas storage and LNG processing, which will help Europe’s gas supply in the future, he said."The TurkStream natural gas pipeline project is the most vivid example of our vision [Turkey's aim to become a gas hub]. Gas flow from TurkStream will start in 2019 and this will eliminate risks on transmission and transfer of natural gas," Dönmez said.Erdoğan calls Russia 'reliable' partner for TurkeyThe Minister said Turkey will be the first recipient of Russian gas through the TurkStream pipeline, "In total there will be around 32 billion cubic meters of gas flow, half of which will be consumed in Turkey. Turkey will have a major role in the region especially at peak times," he said.TurkStream consists of two lines from Russia to Turkey, with a total capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters.The first line will carry 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey and the second line will transfer the gas to Europe via Turkey.
TurkStream is key step for Turkey as gas trading center
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin attended Monday a ceremony marking the completion of the construction of the offshore section of the TurkStream project, a gas pipeline that will carry Russian gas to Turkey and Europe.Speaking at the ceremony, Erdoğan said that TurkStream natural gas project had many advantages not only for Turkey, but also for its region, neighboring countries.Erdoğan called Russia a "reliable' partner for Turkey" and an "important" natural gas provider that Turkey can cooperate with in the long run.Russia's Gazprom says offshore part of TurkStream is completeTurkStream natural gas pipeline project will be ready to operate in 2019 after tests are carried out, said President Erdoğan.Erdoğan said Turkey's goal was to reach a bilateral trade volume of $100B with Russia, adding that Turkey purchased 387 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia since 1987.President Erdoğan said Turkey's solidarity with Russian president and people will pave way for bigger projects for both countries in the future.Eleventh Astana talks for Syria to be held on Nov. 28-29Putin: Turkey is key energy hubTurkey is becoming an important international energy hub as the TurkStream pipeline project becomes a reality, Putin said in Istanbul on Monday.Becoming an energy hub will strengthen Turkey’s geopolitical position, Putin said at the ceremony alongside Erdoğan.Construction of the TurkStream will have a positive impact on the development of the whole Black Sea region and will be an important safeguard for European energy security, he said.Completion of the most difficult section of the gas pipeline testifies to the effective cooperation between Turkey and Russia in very important and complex areas, said Putin. According to Putin, the basis of the project's success is trust between the two countries."I am sure that the TurkStream, as well as our other joint project -- the Akkuyu nuclear power plant -- will become a bright symbol of the development of a multifaceted Russian-Turkish partnership, and a symbol of friendship between our peoples," he said.The Russian leader said the gas pipeline’s construction is being carried out in accordance with the highest technological and environmental standards.He said he also expects construction of the land section will be finished quickly as well.Echoing Erdoğan’s words setting a Turkish-Russian trade target of $100 billion a year, Putin said he “had no doubts” the two countries would achieve this goal.The TurkStream project is an export gas pipeline set to cross beneath the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey and also further extend to Turkey's borders with neighboring countries.TurkStream's first line is set to carry 15.75 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas to Turkey. With a second line that goes to Europe, the project is to have a capacity of 31.5 bcm per year.
Erdoğan calls Russia 'reliable' partner for Turkey