BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 2. Shell International Trading Middle East Fze (Shell) has entered into a significant ten-year agreement with Türkiye's Boru Hatları ile Petrol Taşıma AŞ (BOTAŞ), committing to supply up to 4 billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually from its US and global portfolio. Deliveries are set to commence in 2027, TurkicWorld reports.
The agreement was formalized during a signing ceremony attended by Abdulvahit Fidan, Chairman and General Manager of BOTAŞ, and Tom Summers, Senior Vice President of Shell LNG Marketing and Trading. The event was held under the auspices of Alparslan Bayraktar, Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and featured the participation of Shell CEO Wael Sawan.
This strategic partnership aims to bolster BOTAŞ’s LNG capabilities, leveraging its extensive terminal and pipeline infrastructure to support Türkiye's goal of diversifying its gas sources and solidifying its position as a key regional gas hub.
Minister Bayraktar highlighted the importance of the agreement, stating, "Our objective in natural gas, which was 99% imported until the discovery of Black Sea Gas, is to diversify supply and provide more competitive and affordable gas to our citizens and industry. This agreement with Shell enhances the diversity and flexibility of our portfolio and equips BOTAŞ with new capabilities in LNG transport. Such agreements contribute significantly to the energy security of not just our country, but the entire region."
Shell CEO Wael Sawan remarked, "With 100 years of Shell’s presence in Türkiye, we are pleased to collaborate with BOTAŞ to supply LNG, supporting Türkiye’s efforts to diversify its natural gas sources. LNG is a flexible and reliable energy source, crucial to the transition towards a lower carbon energy system."
As a leading LNG supplier, Shell is targeting a 20-30% growth in its LNG business by 2030, compared to 2022, positioning the company to deliver value as it progresses towards becoming a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.
