ANKARA (Middle East Eye) – Turkey pumped its first locally produced Black Sea natural gas to its national system on Thursday, increasing its energy independence and offering free gas to its citizens ahead of close-run elections.
During a “commissioning ceremony” in the Black Sea town of Zonguldak, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the gas consumed in residential areas would be free of charge for a month to celebrate the occasion, saving 625 lira ($32.2) for each household.
He then said the gas consumption in residential kitchens and bathrooms would also be free for a year, handing out around 25 cubic meters per month.
The calculations suggest people would save 125 lira ($6.44) each month during a biting cost-of-living crisis, amounting to a total of 1,500 Lira ($77.2) annually.
Ankara plans to pump the first Black Sea gas to residential areas before the 14 May presidential and parliamentary elections, possibly boosting Erdogan’s popularity.
In December, Turkey upped the estimate of its natural gas reserves in the Black Sea by nearly a third, putting its total deposits at 710 billion cubic meters. It has a market value in the region of $1 trillion.
As part of a national energy plan, Turkey aims to be more energy self-sufficient, utilizing its own energy resources to reduce expensive gas imports.
Turkey’s Sakarya field was already thought to contain the largest gas reserves ever recorded in the Black Sea.
The Black Sea fields will initially be supplying 10 million cubic meters per day, then rising to a high of 40 million cubic meters in 2026, covering roughly a quarter of the country’s needs a year.