BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. Italy’s gas demand rose sharply in the first quarter of 2025, according to Snam’s latest results, reaching 21.84 billion cubic metres - an increase of 9.6% year-on-year, Trend reports.
The rise was driven primarily by greater use in the thermoelectric sector and colder weather conditions that lifted residential consumption. Industrial gas use remained stable, the producer explained.
At the same time, gas injected into the national transportation network declined by 2.8%, with Snam citing increased reliance on stored gas to meet demand. Withdrawals from storage rose significantly as a result, with 6.18 billion cubic metres handled - up 58.5% compared to Q1 2024.
Snam’s total managed storage capacity stood at 17.9 billion cubic metres at the end of March, following its acquisition of Stogit Adriatica. This is the highest capacity in Europe. Natural gas stocks reached 2.9 billion cubic metres, bringing Italy’s storage fill rate to 42%, well above the European average of 34%.
Meanwhile, LNG regasification volumes fell by 6.5% year-on-year, due to reduced activity at the Panigaglia terminal, partially offset by higher throughput at Piombino.
