Turkey ranks as 7th biggest gas-consuming country globally in 2020

Turkey ranked as the seventh biggest gas-consuming country in the world with 47.7 billion cubic meters (bcm) of consumption last year, according to data of the Natural Gas Distribution Companies Association of Turkey (GAZBİR) on May 25.

The U.S. was the top country, consuming 863 bcm in 2020, followed by Canada with 132.4 bcm, Japan with 112.1 bcm, Germany with 89.3 bcm, the U.K. with 73.3 bcm, and Italy with 70.9 bcm.

Confinement measures against COVID-19 resulted in a 2.8 percent fall in global gas consumption to 3.9 trillion cubic meters last year. The six biggest consuming countries also echoed this trend, showing year-on-year declines in 2020.

However, Turkey's natural gas consumption grew by 6.5 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year with imports of 48 bcm, Turkey's Energy Market Regulatory data showed. Russia was the top gas supplier to Turkey, exporting 16.2 bcm, followed by Azerbaijan and Iran.

Around 30 percent of Turkish gas imports were in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from several sources, including the U.S., Qatar, Norway, Algeria and Nigeria.

Household gas consumption up 7 pct

The growth in Turkey's natural gas consumption last year was driven by household gas usage, which increased 7 percent compared to 2019. An increase was also seen in gas usage in power plants, which took a greater share in overall power generation from the shortfall in hydroelectricity generation from draughts, particularly in the second half of the year.

Natural gas consumption from combined gas power plants increased by 21 percent in 2020, while industrial gas consumption also rose by 3 percent during the same period.

Household consumption accounted for 32.3 percent, power plants...

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