Turkey鈥檚 new energy strategic plan, which aims to deliver聽liquefied petroleum gas to cities without natural gas, may enhance employment opportunities, according to the聽President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey鈥檚 LPG Council.
Turkey鈥檚 Energy and Natural Resources Ministry plans to deliver聽LPG to eleven cities out of its聽eighty-one聽by 2016, according to Turkey鈥檚 new 2015-2019 Energy Strategic Plan. Additionally, Turkish electricity power plants will use LPG as a main fuel.
鈥淭he new聽strategy on LPG will increase the security of supply. The investments in LPG will create new job opportunities and increase employment opportunities. We should be thankful for this聽new strategy,鈥� President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges Yagiz聽Eyuboglu said.
Eyuboglu said that especially in winter there is an increase in demand for natural gas in Turkey. If there is a shortage of聽supply,聽power plants may use LPG as an alternative聽solution for this possible problem.
-聽LPG more costly than natural gas
On the other hand,聽Gurkan Topuzlar, president of the LPG Commission for Chamber of Mechanical Engineers of Turkey claims that the prohibitive cost of LPG along with the fact that Turkey is dependent on its supply mainly from聽imports renders this LPG聽as unfeasible as a viable natural gas alternative.聽
鈥淟PG may be sent to cities which are without natural gas. It is technically possible but Turkey imports 88 percent of its LPG needs and it鈥檚 more costly than natural gas,鈥� said Gurkan Topuzlar, president of the LPG Commission for Chamber of Mechanical Engineers of Turkey.
鈥淲hen we import this much LPG, attempts聽to deliver聽LPG to other cities is not reasonable. Moreover, the most important problem is about pricing聽policy. Autogas, bottled聽and aerosol gas聽have different prices and taxes and this聽already harms the national treasury,鈥� said Topuzlar.
There are 121 gas turbines聽operated by LPG聽in the world and聽19 of them are located in Turkey. Some countries like聽Japan use LPG to operate power plants, but so far聽Turkey does not use聽LPG due to economic reasons.
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
murat.temizer@aa.com.tr