Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez on Tuesday signaled next year for the start of energy production by Turkey's first nuclear reactor and newly discovered Black Sea gas reserves, local media reported.
Donmez's remarks came during his attendance at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group meeting in Istanbul.
"Construction of the very first nuclear reactor of our nation continues in Akkuyu (in the southeastern province of Mersin.) We hope to turn it online next year. We are also working on technological and geographical aspects of second and third reactors," Donmez was quoted as saying by the state-run TRT broadcaster.
"We made the biggest off-shore natural gas discovery of the year 2020 in the Black Sea. Initial data suggest that it's around 540 billion cubic meters, and we are working hard to connect it to our national distribution system next year," he added.
The minister also expressed his hopes that recently discovered Black Sea gas reserves, of which supply line construction began on Monday, would provide 25-30 percent of the national energy demand by 2026.
"Since the last few years, topics such as uninterrupted energy supply, protection of the critical infrastructure, cyber security, and hybrid threats occupy top ranks in the agenda of the NATO alliance," Donmez said.
"We are experiencing a painful energy crisis that will echo for a long time and is more serious than the ones that came before," the minister noted, adding that the rising energy prices are the most important cause of global inflation.
Record-high energy prices and inflation around the globe have also hit Turkey severely, as the country depends mostly on imports for its energy-dependent economy. The downward trend of the Turkish currency has also fed the flames, and the country's inflation hit a record 24-year high recently.
To solve the problem, Turkey has long been looking for alternative energy sources. A nuclear reaction construction has started with a few others planned, and the search continues for untapped gas reserves, particularly in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Editor: Galia
