EU gas consumption fell by a further 7% in last year's record-warm year

Natural gas consumption in European Union member states fell by a further 7.2% last year to 12 720 PJ (3 533 TWh). Record-high temperatures were one of the main reasons for the decline. Lower electricity generation from natural gas also contributed. The information was reported by international news service Argus, citing preliminary data published by Eurostat.

After a record drop in EU natural gas consumption between 2021 and 2022, when consumption fell by 13% year on year to 13 705 PJ (3 807 TWh), the decline continued in 2023. According to preliminary data published by Eurostat, natural gas consumption in EU countries stood at 12 720 PJ (3 533 TWh) last year, a year-on-year decrease of 7.2%. Compared with average consumption in the 2017–2021 period, gas consumption fell by almost 18% last year.

The decline in consumption was mainly driven by record-high temperatures, which were recorded last year. These directly contributed to lower demand for natural gas in the heating sector.

Lower electricity generation from natural gas also contributed to the decline. This was recorded, for example, in Italy (down to 96 TWh from 117 TWh), France (down from 42 TWh to 28 TWh) and Spain (down from 77 TWh to 54 TWh).

"Across the EU, electricity generation from natural gas fell to a five-year low of 353 TWh, down by almost 20% compared with 2022," Argus said.

Biggest decline in Portugal, largest increase in Finland

According to preliminary data for 2023, natural gas consumption fell last year in all EU member states except Croatia (+0.8%), Malta (+4.5%), Poland (+5.5%), Sweden (+11.1%) and Finland (+25.7%).

The largest relative decline in natural gas consumption was recorded in Portugal, where it fell from 224 PJ in 2022 to 176 PJ in 2023, a decrease of almost 22%.

Germany, Europe's largest natural gas consumer, cut its consumption by 4% year on year to its lowest level since 2014. However, the decline was significantly smaller than in the previous year, when consumption fell by 15% year on year.

Of the EU's five largest natural gas consumers (Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the Netherlands), France recorded the largest relative decline in gas consumption last year, at 12%.

In the Czech Republic, natural gas consumption fell by 9.3% last year to 268 PJ (74 TWh), according to preliminary Eurostat data. Compared with average consumption in the 2017–2021 period, this represented a decline of 20.6%.