BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 14. In May 2024, the European Union reported a notable 6 percent year-on-year decrease in gas consumption, largely influenced by ongoing measures aimed at reducing gas demand, Trend reports via the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
This decline reflects concerted efforts across the region to curb reliance on gas amid economic and environmental considerations.
In residential areas, gas usage for heating saw declines in several countries, attributed in part to unseasonably warm weather. May 2024 marked the third warmest May on record for Europe, with temperatures averaging 0.88°C above the 1991-2020 average. Northern regions experienced particularly elevated temperatures, while some parts of South-western and South-eastern Europe recorded below-average temperatures. The spring of 2024 also set a new temperature record as the warmest European spring, averaging 1.50°C above the seasonal norm, as reported by the Copernicus Climate Change Service/ECMWF. Central and Eastern Europe, along with portions of Scandinavia, observed the most significant temperature anomalies.
Conversely, the industrial sector witnessed a recovery in gas consumption, buoyed by reduced gas prices in major industrialized European countries. However, in the power generation sector, gas consumption plummeted by 16 percent year-on-year, despite an overall 1.2 percent increase in total electricity production, reaching 191 terawatt-hours (TWh). This decline in gas usage for power generation was offset by higher outputs from hydro, solar, and nuclear sources. Coal and wind-generated electricity also saw reductions within the current power mix, where non-hydro renewables accounted for the largest share at 37%, followed by nuclear at 24 percent, hydro at 17 percent, gas at 13 percent, and coal at 9 percent.
The latest data underscores the EU's evolving energy landscape amidst efforts to diversify energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with broader sustainability goals outlined by international climate agreements.
Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn