James Rockall meets with Turkish Minister of Energy and Energy Market Regulatory Authority President in Ankara
For Immediate Release Paris, France – 21 December 2012
Yıldız: "Ministry and EPDK will sustain their support for the continued growth of the LPG sector"
Köktaş: "We are working to ensure that the Turkish LPG market offers more developed and more qualified services"
Rockall: "We are citing the Turkish example in all platforms and encourage other countries to create similar energy markets"
Eyüboğlu: "A strategic and environment-friendly product, LPG takes an increasing part in national energy policies every year" From letf to right: Cemalettin Tuney, Department Head, Energy Market Regulatory Authority - James Rockall, CEO, WLPGA - Hasan Köktaş, President, Energy Market Regulatory Authority -
Yağız Eyüboğlu, First Vice-President, WLPGA From letf to right: Devrim Çubukçu, Corporate Communications Manager, Aygaz - Cemalettin Tuney, Department Head, Energy Market Regulatory Authority -
Yağız Eyüboğlu, First Vice-President, WLPGA - James Rockall, CEO, WLPGA - Taner Yıldız, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
20 December 2012, Ankara. – World LP Gas Association (WLPGA) CEO James Rockall came to Ankara for a series of meetings as the guest of First Vice-President of the Association and Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Turkey LPG Assembly Chairman Yağız Eyüboğlu. The WLPGA delegation first met the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) President Hasan Köktaş before visiting the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız at his office.
Yıldız: "LPG sector has become one of the dynamics of the Turkish energy market"
During the meeting, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız said: "Over the last decade, our government has put in place important legal regulations to ensure full competition and liberalisation in all fields of the Turkish energy market. It was in this period that the legal regulation of the LP Gas market was carried out, and the sector gained significant momentum during this process. Today, our country ranks 15th in the world and second in Europe after Russia, with its 3.7-million-ton LP Gas market. The sector has a business volume of USD 12 billion and pays USD 4 billion in taxes. It provides 150,000 people with direct employment. Thanks to these figures, the LP Gas sector has become one of the dynamics of the energy market in our country." Minister Yıldız noted that the Turkish LP Gas sector enjoyed an extremely important place in the global LP Gas market and set an example for many countries with its existing infrastructure, regulatory agencies, and mature market dynamics. He said that the pioneering role assumed by Turkey in the goal of tripling the existing amount of LP Gas used on the roads until 2020 as part of the EU plan to fight climate change. Minister Yıldız also pledged sustained Ministry and EPDK support for the continued growth of the LP Gas sector.
Köktaş: "We will work more closely with the World LP Gas Association"
Sharing his assessments during the visit of the WLPGA Delegation to the Energy Market Regulatory Authority, President Hasan Köktaş said that they had found the chance to assess together with WLPGA CEO James Rockall and First Vice-President of the Board of Directors Yağız Eyüboğlu the developments in the global and Turkish LP Gas markets, which is fully owned by the private sector and provides fair competition. "As an institution responsible for establishing a stronger and consumer-oriented market in the entire sector we regulate, we are working to ensure that the Turkish LP Gas market offers more developed and more qualified services. We came to an agreement with Mr. CEO on working more closely in all fields from regulations to various projects based on the examples from the world," said Köktaş.
Rockall: "We are citing Turkey as an example everywhere"
At the meeting, WLPGA CEO James Rockall said that the global LP Gas market had an average annual size of USD 300 billion. "3 billion people are using LPG. Our sector creates direct employment for more than two million people worldwide. As the most preferred alternative fuel in the world, LP Gas consumption grows faster than other types of energy," he said. "We are citing the Turkish example in every platform. Turkey's management of the energy markets sets an example to the world in every way. We are also encouraging other countries to help create similar markets that have regulatory institutions in place, which are the most important elements of healthy and sustainable development. Continued support in the Turkish LP Gas sector is extremely important not only for the Turkish market but also for the world." James Rockall noted that Turkey had its name frequently mentioned with its success stories recently, and that the LPG sector was no exception. He said that the European Union aimed to triple the amount of LP Gas used on the roads until 2020 within the scope of its efforts to fight against climate change, expressing his pleasure with the determination demonstrated by Turkey in maintaining its leading role in the field. He said that practices that promote the use of LP Gas vehicles such as the allocation of additional lanes, reduced vehicle taxes, and kit price supports were put in place in many countries around the world, and that applications in this field would spread throughout the world in the near future, expressing his hope that such measures would also be implemented in Turkey. James Rockall pointed to the worldwide growth in the bottled gas segment compared to the decline in the household LP Gas consumption in Turkey. "LP Gas provides easy and effective use in all conditions and geographies. It offers solutions in a variety of areas from heating to illumination and transportation. In this respect, it is a strategic product... It provides significant flexibility in consumption in the aftermath of earthquakes and other natural disasters. Outside the city centers, it provides a modern and environment-friendly energy alternative that requires no major infrastructural investments."
Eyüboğlu: "Turkey receives significant worldwide interest in the field of LPG"
During the meeting, WLPGA First Vice-President Yağız Eyüboğlu said that Turkey received significant interest also in LP Gas just like in every other area. Eyüboğlu emphasized on how remarkable was Turkey's success story in the LP Gas sector. He explained that Turkey was one of the largest LP Gas markets of the world, adding that the practices in Turkey were taken as an example by many countries across the world, and that significant business knowledge was transferred to the world from Turkey to existing and developing markets in the various regions of the world through conferences and meetings. Eyüboğlu said that its public health benefits and its provision of an important alternative in the fight against climate change played a role in the ongoing growth trend of LP Gas on a global scale. Pointing to the statement recently issued by the World LP Gas Association, Eyüboğlu added: "According to the studies by United Nations World Health Organization, four million people die worldwide every year due to poor household air quality. LP Gas use can make it possible to reduce such losses to life." Yağız Eyüboğlu expressed their pleasure with the increasing share of LPG every year in the national energy policies across the world, noting that in addition to its known areas of use, LP Gas was used as a main or backup fuel to natural gas in power generation, and that he found the initiation of similar efforts in Turkey an extremely positive development. He stressed on the great value of all efforts in Turkey, which enjoys an important place in the world energy markets, for the international arena.
About World LP Gas Association (WLPGA)
The WLPGA was established in 1987. The Association was granted "Special Consultative" status by the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council in 1989. The WLPGA effectively represents the LP Gas industry in relevant UN processes also including the United Nations Climate Change Framework Agreement. As the global speaker of the LP Gas sector for a cleaner, healthier, and a more prosperous world, the WLPGA supports the use of this fuel. To this end, the Association brings together private and public companies under its roof, develops long-term partnerships with international organizations, and implements projects on local and global scales. The Association engages in activities in several fields from the training of the stakeholders of the sector to compliance with the legislation and laws, from spreading the best business practices to innovation and business knowledge transfer. Currently, the Association has more than 200 members from 125 countries. Turkey is represented in the nine-person Board of Directors of the WLPGA by Aygaz as the Board of Directors First Vice-President. For more information, visit www.wlpga.org and www.exceptionalenergy.com
About James Rockall
James Rockall has been the CEO and Managing Director of the WLPGA since 2004. He is in charge of all executive functions of the Paris-based association, which has 200 members from 125 countries.
James Rockall has a long experience in the fields of energy and business development. In his nine years of work with the International Shell Company, Rockall assumed various executive positions in business development and project management in the Netherlands and Venezuela. Before joining the WLPGA, Rockall worked as director for two years at the global energy company ALSTOM SA. James Rockall is also a Board Member and Vice President of the International DME Association.
About Yağız Eyüboğlu
Yağız Eyüboğlu started his career in 1991 at Arçelik and was transferred to the Koç Holding Head Office in 1993 where he served in various positions for nearly a decade within the Financial Group Management. From 2004 to 2009, he worked as Arçelik A.Ş. CFO, Beko Elektronik A.Ş. General Manager and Board Member, Koç Holding A.Ş. Foreign Trade and Tourism Group Vice President, and Koç Holding A.Ş. Human Resources Director, respectively.
Since October 2009, Yağız Eyüboğlu has been serving as Aygaz CEO.
Eyüboğlu also holds various board memberships to WLPGA, LPG Association on Turkey, Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), Turkish Confederation of Employer Association (TİSK), Turkish Metal Industrialists Union (MESS) and is the Chairman of TOBB LPG Assembly. CONTACT: James Rockall
Managing Director and CEO
WLPGA
182 avenue Charles de Gaulle
Neuilly-sur-Seine 92200
Email: jrockall@worldlpgas.com
Web: www.worldlpgas.com
www.exceptionalenergy.com
Twitter: @james_rockall
@ExceptionalNRG