Automotive Exports June 2022

Turkey, EU can put clean transition
strategy to reduce gas imports
Acommon strategy for the energy
transition and an increase in cross-border
electricity trade capacity between the
European Union and Turkey is advisable
given the urgency in reducing dependency
on Russian gas with the ongoing crisis in
Ukraine, Julian Popov, the chairperson of
the Buildings Performance Institute Europe
(BPIE) told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive
interview.
As the EU accelerates plans to reduce
reliance on natural gas imports from
Russia, Popov, also the former minister
of Environment of Bulgaria, suggests that
Turkey could play a significant role to this
end.
The EU’s plan announced to cut Russian
gas imports by two-thirds in a year includes
increasing liquefied natural gas (LNG)
capacity, rapidly boosting renewable
energy generation and cutting demand
with energy efficiency measures.
“Turkey is a very important country, in
my view, which is very often ignored just
because of political reasons and as it is not
part of the EU. But I think that is a very
serious mistake because the Turkish energy
system and European energy systems are
partially integrated, and what is happening
in Turkey could impact Europe,” Popov said.
He envisages that a rapid increase in
alternative supplies in the short and
medium term for energy efficiency and the
reduction of consumption would be very
important not only for Turkey but also for
Europe, especially Southeast Europe.
Popov advocated for going ahead and
holding energy platforms and negotiations
that are not linked to the energy chapter of
the Turkish application for EU membership
because this petition has been delayed for
political reasons.
According to Popov, it has become very
important that Turkey and the EU form a
common strategy for the energy transition,
which has become more acute and urgent
with the crisis in Ukraine.
He recommended setting up an urgent
working group or task force between the
European Commission and European
countries like Bulgaria, Romania, Greece
and Turkey to assess joint action for
development. He also stressed the
importance of developing a partnership
between Turkey and the EU in resolving
many energy security issues.
He suggested that a reduction in energy
consumption is an area to tackle as well
as expanding cross-border electricity grid
capacity to allow more electricity trade
between Turkey and the EU.
“Ultimately, that will help with the
integration of more renewables, wind and
solar, mostly because they are intermittent
renewables and they need wider areas
for connection because, in that way, they
balance better,” he said.
Defining Turkey as “an absolute heaven for
development and renewables and doing
so at a low cost,” Popov acknowledged
the massive renewables potential in the
country that is similarly very advanced in
hydro and geothermal power.
He cited Turkey’s experience in solar
heating, which is ignored in Europe. He
said this simple technology could have
a massive impact on heating in Europe,
which is heavily dependent on gas.
Energy efficiency, demand-side
management, digitalization, batteries,
green hydrogen are all technologies that
can rapidly reduce coal and gas use to
help achieve both climate targets and cut
dependency on other countries, he said.
The crisis in Ukraine set off alarm bells for
energy security, Popov said.
Given the recent global commodity price
shocks that have surged to record highs,
he said the nature of energy security
is changing, with energy security being
something much wider than access to gas.
“It is not only about gas or oil but there are
a lot of issues and bottlenecks in the supply
chain of renewables like critical minerals
that are needed for batteries for solar
panels or wind generators,” he said.
Gas should only be used where there is no
other alternative available amid the energy
transition, as this fuel will be phased out in
10 to 20 years.
Instead, he said that financial markets are
ready to facilitate the rapid development
of renewables and new clean technologies
to reduce carbon emissions and tackle the
global issue of energy security.
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