Germany is the biggest natural gas importer and demand set to grow further – study

The transformation of Germany’s energy system is likely to increase the demand for natural gas of the world’s biggest importer even further, a study by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) said. “We can expect a significant growth in demand for natural gas, both in Germany and worldwide”, Harald Andruleit of the BGR said in a press release. Germany accounts for almost one quarter of the EU’s natural gas imports and with a consumption of over 100 billion cubic metres per year, “it’s among the world’s largest consumers”, the BGR said. A reduction in European production means Germany is likely to become more dependent on imports from outside the EU, especially from Russia and the Middle East, it argued. The BGR said that renewables today accounted for 17 percent of the world’s primary energy consumption and were the fastest growing energy source. However, fossil energy use was also growing and additional renewable capacities were mostly used to cover growing energy demand.

Find the study in German here.

See the CLEW factsheet Germany’s dependence on imported fossil fuels for background.