BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 17. In February 2025, the European Union's natural gas demand surged by 21% year-on-year (y-o-y), reaching a total of 38 billion cubic meters (bcm), Trend reports with reference to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
This marks the sixth consecutive month of growth, with no sign of a decline. The increase in demand was driven by heightened consumption in the power and residential sectors, especially due to colder-than-usual weather that boosted heating needs in homes and commercial buildings.
The European Copernicus Program reported that the surface air temperature anomaly in February 2025 was 0.4°C, a significant drop from the 3.3°C anomaly recorded in February 2024 and the 1.2°C anomaly in February 2022. This shift in temperature further fueled the demand for heating, as residents and businesses relied more heavily on natural gas.
The reduced availability of wind and hydro generation further contributed to the increased reliance on gas-fired power plants to stabilize the grid. In addition to the power sector, industrial gas consumption continued its upward trend, driven by a rebound in major European economies and favorable, stabilized gas prices.
Total electricity generation in the EU rose by 1.1% y-o-y, reaching 216 terawatt hours (TWh). The gas-fired power generation sector saw a remarkable 29% y-o-y increase, compensating for the reduced output from hydro and wind sources, which were impacted by the recurrence of the Dunkelflaute phenomenon.
In the evolving power generation mix, non-hydro renewables emerged as the largest contributor, accounting for 28%, followed by nuclear at 25%, gas at 20%, coal at 14%, and hydro at 13%, illustrating the ongoing shift in Europe’s energy landscape.
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