BOTAŞ seeks LNG carrier on 940-day charter

Turkey’s state pipeline operator BOTAŞ Petroleum Pipeline Co. has launched an open tender for the time charter of a single LNG carrier, with bids due by October 15.

The procurement, published on October 2, specifies a vessel built in 2015 or later with cargo capacity between 173,600 cubic metres and 175,000 cubic metres, according to the official tender file.

The firm charter period is 940 days, with the Ankara-based buyer retaining an option to extend or shorten the duration by up to 60 days. Bidders must price their offers in US dollars, calculated by multiplying the daily hire rate by the 940-day firm term.

The deadline for submissions is 15:00 local time on October 15, 2026. Bids will remain valid for 21 calendar days thereafter.

The tender is open to domestic and foreign bidders, but consortium participation is prohibited. Applicants must submit ownership records, vessel class status reports, a recent SIRE 2.0 inspection report, and an LNG Form B detailing technical and operational parameters including fuel consumption.

On professional and technical qualifications, bidders must document completion of at least one LNG carrier time charterparty as owner or disponent owner within the five years preceding the tender notice. Sanctions compliance is uncompromising: neither the bidder, the vessel, nor its managers or owners may be subject to restrictions imposed by the United Nations, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States or the Republic of Türkiye.

The procedure sits outside Turkish Public Procurement Laws No. 4734 and 4735, save for the penalty and bid debarment provisions.

The charter requirement underscores BOTAŞ’s continuing effort to lock in dedicated shipping capacity as Turkey expands its role as a regional gas trading hub. The country operates LNG import terminals at Marmara Ereğlisi and Aliağa alongside floating storage and regasification units at Dörtyol and Saros, and has been building re-export volumes to neighbouring markets including Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and, more recently, Syria.

A 940-day commitment, running to mid-2029 if awarded promptly, would give BOTAŞ dedicated tonnage through a period in which several of its long-term supply contracts with Russia, Azerbaijan, Algeria and Nigeria come up for renewal or renegotiation. The post-2015 vintage requirement effectively narrows the field to tri-fuel diesel electric and two-stroke designs, the fuel-efficient tonnage that has dominated LNG newbuild orderbooks over the past decade.