Turkmenistan is on the verge of developing a pipeline to export natural gas across Europe. This is in addition to the ongoing construction of the TAPI pipeline, which is moving at a rapid pace, as per the country’s president, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who was speaking at an investors forum in Dubai on April 26. As per his presentation at the forum, the East-West pipeline will supply gas across the Caspian Sea.
The president added that foreign investors are indeed welcome to be a part of the TAPI gas pipeline, which will run to India through Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is well to be noted that the natural gas that is transported through pipelines happens to be more attractive as compared to LNG since it doesn’t have to be shipped and therefore has lower emissions, said the CEO of TAPI Pipeline, Muhammetrmyrat Amanov, at the conference. The pipeline will go on to contribute in terms of reduced CO2 emissions and also help in meeting goals as far as the Paris Agreement is concerned, in addition to the sustainability of the TAPI countries.
It is well to be noted that Turkmenistan is developing projects so as to lower emissions, including a 10 MW solar wind power plant, as per the organisers of the forum. Construction for the same has begun and is anticipated to start operations by January 2024 at Altyn Asyr Lake.
Country’s energy minister, Hajymuhammet Rejepmyradov says Turkmenistan itself is developing projects to lower emissions, including a 10 MW solar-wind power plant, according to organisers of the forum. Construction has begun and is expected to start operations in January next year at Altyn Asyr Lake.
Notably, the country happens to be the world’s fourth largest emitter of methane from oil and gas production with 4.9 million metric tonnes per year, positioned after Russia, the US, and Iran, confirmed the principal lead of the Energy Transition, COP 28 UAE, Saamir Elshihabi.
Significantly, the UAE has made investments in oil, gas, and renewable energy sectors across Turkmenistan in the last couple of decades through Dragon Oil, ADNOC, and Masdar, and the country is confident that this support is going to further serve Turkmenistan as an international provider, said Ahmed Ali al Sayeh, the UAE Minister of State.
The fact is that Turkmenistan has the fourth-largest gas reserves in the world after Qatar, Iran, and Russia. It has around 50 Tcm of proven reserves, the Chairman of Turkmengaz, Batyr Amanov, said at the forum. At present, the second-stage drilling contract for the Galkynysh Gas Field is being negotiated.
It is well to be noted that Turkmenistan stands as the largest supplier of gas through pipelines to China, said President of CNPC Middle East, Wang Guihai. ADNOC has gone on to participate in the refining, drilling, trading, upstream, and infrastructure of Turkmenistan for the last 15 years, as per the EVP of ADNOC International, Mohamed Saif al Aryani.
In yet another development, Turkey too is all set to begin working on the transit of gas to Europe from Turkmenistan, as per a statement by Recep Erdogan, the Turkish President, in December last year.
