Key figures of the international energy sector gathered in Istanbul under the auspices of BOTAŞ for the Executive Committee Meeting of the International Gas Union (IGU) held from April 15th to 19th, 2024.
The Executive Committee Meeting of the International Gas Union (IGU), of which our organization has been a member since 1988, took place in Istanbul from April 15th to 19th, 2024, hosted by BOTAŞ.
As a powerful player on a global scale, BOTAŞ has deepened international energy collaborations by implementing massive investments for Türkiye and Europe's energy supply security and once again demonstrated its key role in the sector by participating in international summits and congresses.
Under the coordination of the Department of External Relations and International Projects of BOTAŞ, workshops, team meetings, and social events were organized for 5 days, bringing together many significant actors from the energy sector. As part of the workshops, two different sessions titled "Türkiye's Natural Gas Journey and the Current Situation" and "Energy Transition and Natural Gas as Transition Fuel." were held on April 18th. Mr. Abdulvahit FİDAN, Chairman of the Board and General Manager of BOTAŞ, delivered the opening speech of the event. After providing information about BOTAŞ's sectoral activities and achievements, Mr. Abdulvahit FİDAN emphasized the position and importance of IGU in the natural gas market, stating that BOTAŞ is ready for any cooperation opportunities.
Following the speech by the General Manager, IGU President Madam Li Yalan, thanked BOTAŞ and Mr. Abdulvahit FİDAN for hosting the Executive Committee meeting and workshops with great care. Stating that Türkiye's becoming a regional energy hub thanks to its pipeline connections and strategic position, Madam Li Yalan emphasized the importance of Türkiye in connecting Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa in the sector. She discussed the current state of the global natural gas sector, the necessity of evaluating renewable energy and natural gas together, and the importance of continuing global investments in natural gas for sustainable energy. Madam Li Yalan reiterated her thanks to BOTAŞ, stating that the 2024 IGU Executive Committee and workshop organization was extremely successful.
Subsequently, the first session of the workshop titled "Türkiye's Natural Gas Journey and the Current Situation," moderated by Marcel KRAMER from the Royal Dutch Gas Association and IGU Regional Coordinator, commenced. The session began with a presentation titled "Black Sea Gas Discoveries" by Mr. Ahmet TÜRKOĞLU, General Manager of TPAO. In the first session, Mr. Mithat AYDIN, Deputy General Manager of BOTAŞ, presented "The Role of 'Turkish Gas' in the Eastern European Natural Gas Markets" to the participants. This was followed by presentations titled "Romanian Natural Gas Market and the Neptune Deep Sea Field Discovery" by Mr. Franck NEEL, Executive Board Member of OMV Petrom, and "Current International Dynamics, the Role of LNG and Türkiye in the Region" by Mr. Burak RENDE, Deputy General Manager Responsible for Energy and Multilateral Transportation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The second session titled "Energy Transition and Natural Gas as Transition Fuel," moderated by Oğuzhan OĞUZ, Head of the Department of External Relations and International Projects at BOTAŞ, featured a presentation titled "LNG as a Transition Fuel" by Dr. Yunus Emre İCİK, Head of the Natural Gas Supply and Export Department. The session and workshop concluded with presentations titled "The Role of Gas/LNG in the Mediterranean Region towards Energy Transition" by Hasan ÖZKOÇ, Director of the Mediterranean Energy Regulators (MEDREG), "Establishing a Natural Gas Supported Hydrogen Ecosystem and Transmission of Hydrogen by Blending it with Natural Gas" by Prof. Dr. İskender GÖKALP, Consultant at TUBITAK-MAM, and "Digitalisation in Energy" by Dr. Safa USLU, International Business Development Manager at DTCloud.
On the final day of the IGU EXCOM event, a visit to the Silivri Natural Gas Storage Facility was organized. The activities carried out at the Silivri Natural Gas Storage Facility, which holds the title of the largest storage facility in the seas of Europe, were introduced to the guests under the chairmanship of M. Talha PAMUKÇU, Board Member and Deputy General Manager of BOTAŞ, during a technical tour of the facility and project site.
In line with its goal of making Türkiye as a natural gas trading hub, BOTAŞ will continue its strong steps towards the future with its massive investments in natural gas transmission infrastructure, storage, LNG and FSRU fields, as well as the natural gas export agreements it has signed. BOTAŞ will continue to stride confidently into the future as a respected entity globally, a leader in its region, and a guiding force in the industry, through its established networks of cooperation in the international energy arena.
Tarih: 25/4/2024
