Record household demand drives Türkiye’s gas imports up over 16% amid cold weather
File photo shows valves and pipeline infrastructure at a natural gas facility, accessed on April 29, 2025. (Adobe Stock Photo)
Türkiye’s natural gas imports rose by 16.6% year-on-year in February to reach 6.43 billion cubic meters (227 billion cubic feet), driven primarily by elevated household demand because of severe winter weather across the country.
Overall, residential consumption increased by 6% year-on-year in February, reaching 3.79 billion cubic meters.
This rise was driven by record-breaking demand, with two separate daily consumption records set during the month, peaking at over 333.7 million cubic meters on Feb. 24, according to data from the state-owned pipeline operator BOTAS.
The Energy Market Regulatory Authority’s (EPDK) “Natural Gas Market Sector Report” for February revealed that 3.37 billion cubic meters of the total imports were delivered via pipelines, while 3.06 billion cubic meters came through liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals.
Russia remains Türkiye’s top gas supplier
Russia remained Türkiye’s largest gas supplier in February, providing 2.41 billion cubic meters. It was followed by the United States with 2.02 billion cubic meters and Azerbaijan with 876 million cubic meters.
Türkiye also imported 83 million cubic meters of pipeline gas from Iran.
In addition, LNG imports during the month included 334 million cubic meters from Algeria, 288 million cubic meters from Nigeria, 164 million cubic meters from Trinidad and Tobago, 91 million cubic meters from Cameroon, 90 million cubic meters from Oman, and 74 million cubic meters from Mozambique.
Total natural gas consumption in Türkiye reached 7.55 billion cubic meters in February, marking a 19.1% annual increase.
Consumption by the industrial sector rose by 0.9% year-on-year to 1.15 billion cubic meters, while demand from power plants increased sharply by 156.9% to 1.34 billion cubic meters.
Meanwhile, Türkiye’s natural gas storage levels fell significantly, declining by 50.8% compared to February in 2024 to approximately 2.64 billion cubic meters.
Of this, around 2.37 billion cubic meters were stored in underground facilities, while 270 million cubic meters were held at LNG terminals.
