InfrastructureAccording to an announcement in Turkey's official state gazette Wednesday, state gas importer and transit grid operator Botas has been given clearance for the compulsory purchase of land for the first overland section of the 31.75 Bcm/year TurkStream pipeline. The authorization covers the route of TurkStream from its receiving station at Kiyikoy on Turkey's European Black Sea coast to Luleburgaz, where it will connect to Botas' existing west east transit line and allows for land to be expropriated for construction of the pipeline and ancillary buildings, access roads and earthling lines. No timeframe is given for the purchases to be completed and such expropriations can be challenged in the Turkish courts which can lengthen the process. Botas published an Environmental Impact Assessment for the line earlier this year which was given provisional approval. The line is being built using 48-inch pipe which would give it a maximum capacity of around 32 Bcm/year, enough to carry both the 15.75 Bcm/year projected under the first phase of TurkStream scheduled to begin operation by end of 2019, and the second export string for which construction is continuing offshore and which is due to run to Luleburgaz, and then via a second overland section to either the Turkish border with Greece or Bulgaria, or both. Turkey and Russia said earlier this year they had reached an agreement for construction of the second overland section, but have yet to release details. SAROS FSRU Separately on Monday, Turkey's ministry for environment opened the public consultation process for the planned construction by Botas of an FSRU on the Gulf of Saros, on Turkey's European Aegean coast. The project involves construction of an offshore jetty capable of handling vessels of up to 100,000 dwt, with a 30-inch diameter connection pipeline to LNG storage of 125,000-263,000 cu m, and regasification facility capable of producing 14 million-28 million cu m/day of gas. On August 2, Turkey's official gazette published notice of approval for Botas to make compulsory purchases of land to build a pipeline to connect the planned FSRU to Botas' existing loop transit gas line around the Sea of Marmara. Botas' Marmara loop line uses 36-inch diameter pipe giving it a capacity of 9-10 Bcm/year, and connects with both Botas' 11 Bcm/year Turkey-Greece interconnector and Botas' 14 Bcm/year West-East transit line from Luleburgaz to Istanbul. The planned FSRU will be Turkey's third, and Botas' second. Botas already operates a terminal at Dortyol on Turkey's east Mediterranean coast, and an on land terminal at Marmara Eregli, on the north coast of the Sea of Marmara. Private company Etki Liman Isletmeleri operates an FSRU at Alaga on Turkey's central Aegean coast while another private company Ege Gaz operates an onland terminal also at Aliaga.