The Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation (TEIAS) has stopped giving load dumping (YAT) instructions, meaning pausing electricity generation, to geothermal power plants (GPPs), which have the priority to enter the network because they generate power from local and renewable resources.
GPP operators had been astonished by stoppage orders, particularly during the summer months when consumption spikes due to the use of air conditioners. GPP operators, owners and sector representatives held talks with the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) and TEIAS, arguing that the energy generated from their plants is clean and renewable and thus should be exempt from YAT. The practice was finally ended as of the first week of July.
JESDER STEPPED IN
The Geothermal Power Plants Investors Association (JESDER) President Ufuk Ozturk argued that YAT orders for GPPs has no place in the legislation. Sector representatives demanded its termination as it is contrary to emphasizing to domestic resources in energy and policies regarding the reduction of foreign energy dependency.
DIALOGUE BETWEEN EPDK AND TEIAS
As a result of meetings held with the EPDK’s relevant units and TEIAS officials, YAT instruction to GPPs will be the last resort in generation cuts to deal with any network transmission problems. When load dumping needs emerge, renewable sources solar, wind and geothermal – will be the last to be shut down.
First testing flare lit for the Black Sea natural gas
The first burning ceremony was conducted at the Kanuni Drillship for the 540 billion cubic meter natural gas field discovered in the Black Sea. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the ceremony via videoconference while Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez joined via livestream. The reserve has been upgraded to 405 billion cubic meters in total in October after 320 billion cubic meters of natural gas was discovered in the Tuna-1 well in the Sakarya Gas Field on the Black Sea last August. The Fatih Drillship explored another natural gas reserve containing another 135 billion cubic meters in the Amasra-1 well in the Sakarya Gas Field this June. The natural gas will disembark from the Port of Filyos and be connected to the national natural gas line. Natural gas to be produced from the field is estimated to meet nearly one fourth of consumption in Turkey.
Bulgaria to make USD 412m TurkStream payment
The Russian state natural gas company Gazprom will pay EUR 349m (USD 412m) in advance to Bulgaria for the extension of the TurkStream Natural Gas Pipeline. The amount will be paid based on the booked capacity planned by Gazprom Export from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023, according to a statement from the Bulgarian public gas network operator Bulgartransgaz. Bulgartransgaz will use USD 278m of the proceeds to make advance payments to the Saudi-led group Arkad, which built the pipeline for EUR 1.1bn. The company will also use the money to cover a EUR 65m loan supplied by commercial banks. The line, which will transport Russian gas from TurkStream to the Serbian border through Bulgaria, has a length of 474 kilometers. The line became operational in January.