ANKARA

Ertugrul Gazi, Türkiye's first floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) ship, transferred approximately 2.1 billion cubic meters (over 74.1 billion cubic feet) of natural gas to the country's grid over the past year, according to an official statement on Saturday.

Pointing to investments made in recent years to boost Türkiye's natural gas supply security, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources said the Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Company (BOTAS) had increased gas input capacities, while investments in storage area continued apace.

Noting that the Turkish-flagged Ertugrul Gazi started its activities on June 25 last year, the ministry said that in the course of the year, the ship had served Türkiye's natural gas supply, with a total of 24 LNG transfers taking place from ship to ship.

"As a result, the Ertugrul Gazi has transferred 2.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas to the national system," it added.

This corresponds to the six-month gas consumption of Istanbul, a metropolis of over 15 million, or that of the capital Ankara for a full year, the ministry said.

*Writing by Gokhan Ergocun