Experts believe that it is possible to increase the capacity of the Turkish Stream

MOSCOW, 30 Sep — PRIME. Expanding the capacity of the Turkish Stream to increase supplies through it is technically possible, but the issue is rather political prerequisites, experts from the Center for Energy Development (TsRE) commented to RIA Novosti.

Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held talks with Speaker of the Turkish Parliament Mustafa Sentop. The parties discussed the expansion of gas transit capacities in the East-West direction. At the same time, the chairman of the Hungarian government noted that by joining the Turkish Stream, Turkey has become one of the most important transit countries for gas supplies to Hungary.

According to the experts of the Center for Economic Development, it is possible to increase the capacity of the Turkish Stream directly “from the technical side.”

“Recall that the Turkish Stream (still called South Stream) was supposed to have twice the capacity (64 billion cubic meters instead of 32 billion cubic meters) and four lines instead of two. However, are there political prerequisites for such an expansion of the system? that’s the biggest question right now,” they say.

Turkey in this case can become a key transit country for Russian gas, as Ukraine once was. But now the branch of the Turkish Stream, going to Bulgaria and further to Serbia and Hungary, is fully loaded, despite the fact that Bulgaria is currently not buying Russian gas, the CRE notes.

“There are opportunities for increasing productivity on any gas pipeline, but in the offshore part of the TurkStream (this is the limiting section), they are limited to about 1 billion cubic meters per year. If we are talking about a more significant increase in supplies, then it is necessary to lay new pipe strings through the Chernoye sea ​​and expand the entire system even in Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia,” the experts concluded.