Turkey’s state-owned pipeline operator BOTAS and the Italian energy company Edison have agreed to work together on LNG trade and swap operations, while evaluating a new gas pipeline across the Mediterranean between Turkey and Italy.
Under the memorandum of understanding, signed on the sidelines of the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit, the two partners will set up a working group to examine the technical, commercial, and regulatory dimensions of a potential hydrogen‑compatible natural gas interconnector between Turkey and Italy. Joint, or coordinated LNG procurement is the second mainstay of the accord.
The BOTAS‑Edison MoU does not yet specify a project volume or timetable for the proposed interconnector or joint off‑takes, but it formalizes a platform for coordinated LNG offtake and pipeline‑linked swap arrangements across the eastern and central Mediterranean.
For investors, the agreement signals that both companies are actively layering long‑term LNG‑linked volumes on top of existing pipeline‑based trade, aiming to lock in flexible, diversified supply as shipping markets and terminal-access begin to tighten.
Both companies already play active roles in Mediterranean gas flows:
BOTAS has been building up additional LNG‑receiving capacity and integrating more spot and term LNG cargoes into Turkey’s domestic energy mix. Under a 20‑year offtake with Mercuria, BOTAS sources roughly 4 bcm per year, equivalent of 2.6 mtpa of LNG with deliveries starting in 2026 and extending through 2045. An additional 11 bcm per year of step‑down winter volume has been agreed with ENI and SEFE. Those volumes translate into approximately 7.3 mtpa over the 10‑winter period with ENI and about 8.0 mtpa under the agreement with SEFE, both starting in 2028.
Edison is a major LNG‑procurement and gas‑trading player in Europe, based on several long-term offtake agreements, including a 20-year deal with Venture Global for about 0.95 mtpa into Italy’s Piombino FSRU. The Italian company also signed a 15‑year SPA with Shell for 0.7 mtpa, starting 2028. (May 26, 2026, Source: https://lngjournal.com/index.php/latest-news-mainmenu-47/item/116438-botas-edison-explore-gas-pipeline-and-lng-cooperation)
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