BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 24
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
European Union (EU) gas consumption in the third quarter of 2019 was still up in year-on-year comparison, increasing by almost 7 percent, however, this increase was less than in the previous quarter (13 percent), Trend reports citing European Commission’s Gas Market Report.
“In absolute numbers, the quarterly gas consumption in Q3 2019 amounted to an estimated 83.9 bcm, in comparison to 78.6 bcm in Q3 2018. Gas-fired electricity generation showed a measurable increase in Q3 2019 in many European countries in year-on-year comparison (increasing by 20 percent, or 28 TWh in Q3 2019); and was the main contributor to the increase in gas use in the EU. The weather across Europe was generally warmer in July and August 2019 compared to the seasonal average, resulting in higher cooling needs and gas consumption in electricity generation. In July and August 2019 gas consumption was above the range of 2014-2018, while in September it was close to the upper end of the range, as Figure 1 below shows,” reads the report.
In the third quarter of 2019, the biggest year-on-year increase in gas consumption could be observed in Spain (36 percent, representing a volume of 8.8 bcm in Q3 2019). Gas consumption increased in 17 EU Member States, whereas in 10 countries it decreased (in Cyprus there is still no data on natural gas consumption). In Croatia, Czechia, Latvia, Greece, Austria and Sweden the quarterly gas consumption increased by more than 10% in year-on-year comparison, while in Latvia and Malta it fell back by more than 10 percent. Among the biggest consumers, in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands gas consumption went up respectively by 9 percent, 7 percent, and 9 percent, whereas in the UK and France it decreased by 5 percent and 4 perent.
In absolute numbers, gas consumption in Q3 2019 increased by in the Spain (2.3 bcm), Germany (1.2 bcm), Italy (0.9 bcm), the Netherlands (0.7 bcm), and Poland (0.4 bcm), whereas in the UK, it decreased by 0.7 bcm and in France by 0.2 bcm. In the remaining Member States the change in gas consumption was less than 0.2 bcm in Q3 2019 in year-on-year comparison.
In the first three quarters of 2019 gas consumption in the EU went up by 2.9 percent (9.6 bcm) compared to the same period of 2018. The biggest increase in absolute numbers could be observed in Spain (3.8 bcm) and Germany (3.1 bcm), while in the UK consumption decreased by 3 bcm (5.3 percent)
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