German gas consumption one third lower in May than same time last year
Clean Energy Wire
Germany’s gas consumption was 14.3 percent lower in the first five months of 2022 than in the previous year, energy industry association BDEW reports. In the month of May, gas usage even was more than one third (-34.7%) below that of May 2021. Milder temperatures in spring this year likely were responsible for the majority of the decrease, the BDEW said - but even adjusted for temperature effects, consumption still was 10.8 percent lower. "It can be assumed that gas consumption is declining primarily due to rising gas prices. But the economic gloom, appeals to save energy or personally motivated savings also play a role," said Kerstin Andreae, Chairwoman of the BDEW Executive Board.
Natural gas is used mostly for heat production and in industrial processes in Germany, but also for electricity generation. In 2021, power generation accounted for 12 percent of total gas consumption. In the first five months of 2022, gas-fired electricity generation was also 14.3 percent lower than in the same period last year. Only in May did gas-fired plants increase production compared to 2021, which was because of lower input from renewables and because 12 gigawatt of nuclear and coal capacity had been decommissioned in the past year, the BDEW writes.
