Spanish Gas Demand Drops

Demand for natural gas in Spain hit 1,540 GWh January 16, the highest daily amount since December 5, 2017. This record was due to higher domestic/commercial demand, power generation and industry, said grid operator Enagas the following day. 

By January 21 however the intraday forecast demand had slipped to 1,457.3 GWh, according to Enagas' mid-day estimate.

End-user demand registered 1,142 GWh January 16, down to 1,109 GWh January 21. The earlier surge was mainly the result of increased demand from homes and commerce owing to cold weather. Industrial demand was also high that day and demand in that sector has risen by 15% since 2014. It now accounts for close to 60% of the total.

Demand for natural gas in the electricity sector reached 398 GWh January 16, as a result of low wind power and hydroelectricity generation, but that total had fallen sharply to 295 GWh January 21, according to Enagas' mid-day forecast.

So far this year, gas demand in Spain has grown by 17.9% compared with the same period of 2018, reaching 21,256 GWh, owing to growth in conventional demand and deliveries of natural gas for power generation.

Spain receives pipeline gas from Algeria and LNG from global markets. Some of the LNG is used in marine and road transport.