Gas consumption rose by nearly 3% in the first half of the year. GasNet distributed 35.1 TWh

GasNet, the largest gas distributor in the Czech Republic, supplied customers with 35.1 TWh of energy during the first half of this year. This represents an increase of 2.9% compared with the same period last year. In addition to natural gas, the volume of distributed biomethane is also growing, rising 4.9% year on year to 73 165 MWh. Interest in new connections to the distribution system also remains strong – in the household segment, GasNet connected 1 112 new supply points, 2.8% more year on year.

“Gas consumption in the first half of the year rose slightly year on year. In total, we distributed 35.1 TWh of energy. As in previous periods, consumption was mainly affected by colder weather during the heating season. Distribution peaks in winter, when millions of Czech households and industrial companies rely on energy from gas,” says Andrzej Martynek, CEO of the GasNet Group.

Customers in the large and medium-sized consumer segment, which includes mainly district heating plants, chemical plants and industrial enterprises, consumed more gas. Their consumption reached 19.6 TWh from January to June this year. Households and medium-sized consumers used 15.5 TWh in the first half of the year. GasNet’s gas technicians were busiest on Monday, 12 January, when households and businesses withdrew a record 37 297 064 m3 of gas from the network. In the distribution area of Gas Distribution, which has been part of the GasNet Group since January and provides gas distribution in South Bohemia and part of the Vysočina Region, consumption reached 1.69 TWh in the first half of the year.

The share of low-emission biomethane in the distribution network is growing

Alongside natural gas, the volume of distributed biomethane continues to grow. During the first six months of this year, 73 165 MWh of this renewable gas passed through GasNet’s distribution system, 4.9% more than in the same period last year. A total of nine biomethane plants currently supply biomethane to GasNet’s gas network.

“Our distribution network is ready for the further development of local biomethane production. By increasing its share in the distribution system, we are strengthening energy security and reducing the overall emissions footprint of the energy sector. The trend in the coming period will be determined primarily by auctions for operational support, which have the potential to significantly increase production volumes in the Czech Republic,” explains Andrzej Martynek.

GasNet has introduced a standardised process for connecting additional biomethane plants to the network, which its gas specialists are ready to further develop in line with market developments. The total potential for biomethane production in the Czech Republic is estimated at between 10 and 15 TWh.

Stable interest in gas

Continued interest in gas is also confirmed by the number of new connections. In the first half of this year alone, GasNet connected 1 112 new supply points in the household segment, 2.8% more year on year.

“Interest in connections from households and large consumers shows that gas is an attractive solution, especially for heating. It is a reliable and cost-effective way to decarbonise not only local household heating, but also to transform the Czech district heating sector and industry as a whole. We are prepared in terms of capacity in most locations for growing demand and gas consumption,” concludes Andrzej Martynek.