BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 7. France’s natural gas consumption declined 5.4% year-on-year in July 2025, reaching 1.2 billion cubic meters (bcm), according to the latest outlook from the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), Trend reports.
The drop was largely driven by lower demand in the industrial and residential sectors.
Residential gas use fell 8% to 0.5 bcm, reflecting the end of the heating season. After an early-July heatwave that saw temperatures 8°C above normal on 1–2 July, the month experienced two cooler-than-normal periods, which slightly moderated overall demand. Industrial gas consumption fell 13% to 0.6 bcm, reflecting weaker activity in gas-intensive sectors.
Total electricity generation rose 2% year-on-year to 37.5 terawatt hours (TWh). Gas-fired power output surged 41%, offsetting a 40% decline in hydro generation, while nuclear, wind, and solar production increased. Despite these changes, nuclear energy remained France’s dominant electricity source at 72%, followed by non-hydro renewables at 18%, hydro at 8%, and natural gas at 2%. French nuclear capacity availability fell 4% compared with July 2024.
For the January–July 2025 period, France’s total gas consumption decreased 2% year-on-year to 17.8 bcm, the GECF report showed.
