TurkStream Gas Pipeline Officially Launched

January 9, 2020 | Oil & Gas | Energy Facts Staff Writer | 4min

A grand opening ceremony for the TurkStream gas pipeline took place on 8 January 2020.

Attending the event were Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey, Aleksandar Vucic, President of the Republic of Serbia, Boyko Borissov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Alexander Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, Fatih Donmez, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey, and Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee. Burhan Ozcan, Chairman of the Board and General Manager at BOTAS, and Oleg Aksyutin, Deputy Chairman of the Management Committee – Head of Department at Gazprom, joined the event via teleconference.


Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo by RIA Novosti

TurkStream, which is laid in the Black Sea, is a link between the gas transmission systems of Russia and Turkey. The gas pipeline has two strings with a combined throughput capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters. The first string will deliver gas to Turkey, while the second string is intended for gas transit to southern and southeastern Europe through Turkish territory.

The pipelaying for TurkStream took 15 months and was completed ahead of schedule in November 2018. The construction of the receiving terminal near the Kiyikoy settlement in Turkey was finished in 2019.

The starting point for feeding gas into TurkStream is the Russkaya compressor station (CS), which forms part of Russia’s Unified Gas Supply System and is located near Anapa. With a capacity of 224 MW, the CS maintains the pressure required for transmitting gas along the pipeline’s two strings through more than 930 kilometers up to the Turkish coast where gas enters the receiving terminal.

The TurkStream project is unique from a technological standpoint: for the first time ever, a pipe of 813 millimeters in diameter was laid at a depth of 2,200 kilometers.

At every stage of the project, including the operation stage, the highest standards of safety, inter alia environmental safety, are observed. Continuous environmental monitoring is performed.


Alexey Miller (third left) speaking at grand opening ceremony for TurkStream gas pipeline. Photo by RIA Novosti

“The launch of TurkStream is a history-making event. Firstly, taking into account exports via Blue Stream, we have paved the way for direct transit-free supplies to fully meet Turkey’s needs for Gazprom’s gas. Secondly, Europe now has a new and reliable route to receive Russian pipeline gas.

There is no doubt that, thanks to all of this, our cooperation with our Turkish and European partners is shifting to a new level and is going to help improve energy security in the region,” said Alexey Miller.

Petrofac completed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) fast track contract with South Stream Transport B.V. for the development of the project’s gas receiving terminal near Kıyıköy on the Turkish Black Sea coast, which was successfully handed over to the client in December 2019. Petrofac also constructed the two lines from the shore to the receiving terminal.

Roberto Bertocco, Petrofac’s Chief Technical and Commercial Officer commented:

This is a proud day for everyone involved in this landmark project. From the outset, we have been able to work collaboratively and successfully with our client’s team and the various other parties to help open this vital gas export channel. The project has been successfully delivered ahead of schedule and was developed and implemented in a quality, safe and environmentally responsible manner, in line with South Stream Transport’s goals and expectations.