On 26 June the Brussels Energy Club hosted an interactive discussion on Türkiye's energy strategy, focusing on themes of green growth, new connectivity, and regional cooperation in a decarbonizing world. The event took place in person at TUSIAD.
The discussion covered the following topics:
Türkiye's energy strategy, including its plans for natural gas supplies from the Caspian Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, as well as its development of wind and solar energy
The country's goal to become a regional gas trading hub
Türkiye's potential role as a bridge between Western and Eastern energy markets
The following speakers presented at the event:
Ambassador Faruk Kaymakci, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Türkiye to the EU
Giles Dickson, CEO, Wind Europe
Evren Aktaş, Borusan EnBW Energy, Assistant General Manager – Power Plants;
Member of the Energy Working Group, TUSIAD – Turkish Industry and Business Association
There was also a presentation on Energy Security and Türkiye by Caner Can, Energy Counsellor, Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Türkiye to the EU.
Marat Terterov, Principle Representative of the Brussels Energy Club, served as the moderator.
Background:
Türkiye plays a vital role in European energy security. It is the fourth-largest gas market in Europe and one of the largest electricity markets in the region. With an annual average gas consumption of around 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) in the last five years, Türkiye is also one of the largest LNG importers globally. The commissioning of the TANAP gas pipeline has solidified Türkiye's position as a vital transit route for gas from Azerbaijan to European consumers. Additionally, Türkiye’s involvement in the development of East Mediterranean gas and several key pipelines delivering Caspian oil to European markets further underscores its significance.
Türkiye’s strategic vision extends beyond being a transit country to becoming a major gas trading hub. Positioned at the crossroads of continents, Türkiye boasts an extensive natural gas infrastructure, including five LNG receiving terminals and multiple pipelines connecting the Middle East, the Caspian region and Europe. The country's natural gas storage capacity has reached 5.8 bcm, enhancing its ability to manage supply and demand effectively. The Organised Natural Gas Wholesale Market, operational since 2018, allows for the continuous trading of natural gas and supports Türkiye’s plans to become a regional gas trading hub. By the end of August 2023, the total transaction volume in this market reached 45 billion TRY (3.4 billion USD), with around 8.1 bcm of natural gas traded.
In the context of energy transition, Türkiye is rapidly becoming a pivotal player in regional energy transformation. The country's strategic efforts to become a gas trading hub are complemented by its significant investments in renewable energy sources. Turkish companies are playing a crucial role in the supply chains driving Europe’s energy transition. Türkiye is establishing itself as a workshop in Southeast Europe for the production of solar panels, while its wind energy sector supplies many components for northern and western European wind farms. As the EU leads the transformation of energy ecosystems from grey to green, Türkiye’s role as a quintessential partner in this process is set to grow exponentially.
Speaker information:
Faruk Kaymakcı
Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Türkiye to the EU
Ambassador Kaymakcı was born on 21 March 1968 in Tosya, Kastamonu, Türkiye. He graduated from the Economics Department of the Faculty of Political Science of Ankara University, he had two Master’s Degrees from the London School of Economics and the College of Europe (Brugge) in the field of economics and politics of the European Union respectively. He worked at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara at the Directorate General (DG) for International Economic Organizations, DG Balkan States (1994-96), DG Policy Planning (2002-03) and DG European Union (2008).
His diplomatic career abroad included postings at the Turkish Embassy in Tripoli (1997-99), at the NATO Senior Civilian Representative’s Office in Kabul (2004-05) and three times at the Turkish Permanent Delegation to the EU in Brussels (1999-03 and 2005-08 and 2017-18). He was the Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to Türkiye’s EU Minister and Chief Negotiator and Director for EU Communication at the EU Ministry (2009-11). He also served as the Consul General of Türkiye in Basrah (2011-2013), as the Ambassador of Türkiye in Iraq (2013- 2017) and as Permanent Delegate of Türkiye to the EU in Brussels (2017-2018), was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs from August 2018 to February 2023. As of 1 March, he was reappointed as Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Türkiye to the European Union. Ambassador Kaymakcı is a holder of the NATO Medal for his service in Afghanistan and was selected one of the three Alumnus of the Year 2007 of the College of Europe. He speaks English and French.
Giles Dickson is the CEO of WindEurope, a position he’s held since 2015. WindEurope is the voice of the European wind industry. It represents the whole value chain of wind energy, onshore and offshore, across Europe and has more than 500 members. It engages Governments on policy and regulation - and others who have a stake in the build-out of wind. WindEurope also organises industry exhibitions, conferences and workshops - and coordinates publicly-funded R&D in wind. Dickson was 16 years a civil servant in the UK Government then worked 7 years for the French engineering company Alstom.
Evren Aktas, Borusan EnBW Energy, Assistant General Manager – Power Plants; Member of the Energy Working Group, TUSIAD – Turkish Industry and Business Association.
Evren Aktas is a mechanical engineer with an M.A. degree in economics and finance. Evren has worked in the energy industry, in cogeneration systems engineering, strategic management, and project management roles throughout his career. He is currently the Power Plants Assistant General Manager of Borusan EnBW Energy, where he is responsible for both the development and investment of renewable energy power plants and their operation and maintenance.
Borusan EnBW Energy is a joint venture comprised of Turkey’s Borusan Group and Germany’s Energie Baden Württemberg which was founded in 2009. The company has invested only in renewable energy power plant projects since then. As of today, Borusan EnBW operates 12 power plants (9 of which are wind parks) with a total operational installed capacity of 725 MW. Additionally, the JV recently completed the investment of a 94 MW hyrbrid solar power plant and has commenced an investment of a 36 MW extension and an 80 MW green field wind power plant. These projects are to be operational in 2024 and 2025.
Caner Can is currently working as an Energy Counselor at the Permanent Delegation of Türkiye to the EU in Brussels. Before this, Caner served as the Energy Counselor of the Turkish Consulate General in Houston, Texas over four years. Caner represented Türkiye at various energy governance organizations such as the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as well as at the G20 Energy Sustainability Working Group. He has a Master of Excellence on Regulation of Gas Markets from the Florence School of Regulation at the European University Institute and has written his MA dissertation on the EU-Russia interdependency on natural gas trade at the School of Economics and Social Sciences at TOBB ETU University in Ankara. He is currently pursuing his PhD from the University of Groningen. He is studying the impact of green energy transition on foreign policy and energy security in the EU.
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