State-owned BOTAŞ, Arkas Petrol, an Arkas Holding subsidiary, and Sumitomo Corp have agreed to establish Turkey’s first LNG bunkering service
The newly established LNG bunkering service would build on Turkey’s status as one of the largest bunkering supply centres in the eastern Mediterranean.
The tripartite agreement brings together BOTAŞ, one of Turkey’s largest energy companies, Arkas Petrol, one of Turkey’s leading ship fuelling companies, and Sumitomo, a global trading company specialised in LNG operations.
BOTAŞ general manager Burhan Özcan pointed out the energy company’s extensive LNG interests that include 23,000 km of national and international oil and natural gas pipelines, the Silivri and Tuz Gölü Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities and Dörtyol FSRU, Marmara Ereğlisi LNG Gasification Facility.
In late June, BOTAŞ conducted its first LNG transfer to Ertuğrul Gazi, Turkey’s first floating LNG storage and gasification vessel (FSRU). Docked at BOTAŞ Dörtyol FSRU Terminal in Hatay, the Bahama-flagged LNG carrier Berge Arzew transferred 132,000 m3 of Algerian LNG to Ertuğrul Gazi FSRU over a four-day period.
“The establishment of the LNG fuel supply centre is a new step that makes us happy for BOTAŞ, which is the pioneer of firsts, and for our country,” said Mr Özcan.
