BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 16. In 2023, Snam's gas demand was 61.85 billion cubic meters, down by 6.86 billion cubic meters, or 10 percent, compared to 2022, Trend reports.
According to the company, this decrease was seen across all main business sectors. The drop in gas demand can be attributed to several factors:
1. In the thermoelectric sector, there was a reduction of 4.10 billion cubic meters (-13.6%) due to increased electricity imports, particularly from France's nuclear power recovery, higher hydroelectric production, reduced electricity demand from slow industrial sector recovery, and more use of renewable sources like solar power in civil sectors.
2. The residential and commercial sector saw a decrease of 2.16 billion cubic meters (-8.6%) due to milder temperatures compared to 2022 and actions to improve energy efficiency and limit consumption in the early months of the year.
3. The industrial sector experienced a decline of 0.61 billion cubic meters (-5.2%), similar to the previous year, driven by commodity price fluctuations and an uncertain macroeconomic situation, resulting in reduced production in certain energy-intensive sectors.
Overall, when adjusted for temperature, gas demand was estimated at 63.35 billion cubic meters, reflecting a decrease of 6.01 billion cubic meters (-8.66%) compared to 2022. This decline is part of a broader trend of increasing energy efficiency measures and modernizing heating systems with more efficient boilers. Additionally, actions to reduce natural gas demand during winter due to reduced imports from Russia were implemented, although these measures were suspended for the winter of 2023-2024.