• Natural gas consumption for power generation hits its highest level in six years
• In the first fifteen days of this month, conventional demand reached a historic high for the month of November
• National demand for natural gas has grown by 9% this year to date
Yesterday, 15 November, natural gas demand for power generation reached 526 GWh, its highest level since January 2011. This increase was primarily due to very low wind and hydro power generation and the fact that two Spanish nuclear power plants were shut down. According to demand forecast, today will also be record-breaking.
At the same time, conventional demand - gas destined for domestic, commercial and industrial consumption - hit its highest-ever level for the month of November in the first fifteen days of the month. This, together with larger gas deliveries for power generation, allowed total demand for gas to hit yesterday its highest level since 2012 given normal temperature conditions (cold spells excluded).
Yesterday’s record demand for gas from the electricity sector was easily absorbed by the System, which operated with total normality, demonstrating the fundamental role that natural gas plays in guaranteeing the electricity supply.
This year to date, natural gas demand in Spain has grown by about 9% over the same period in 2016. This is largely due to growth in industrial demand (7.4%), which represents 60% of all national demand.
