Spanish gas demand climbs 11 pct in Nov

Natural gas demand in Spain in the month of November rose 11 percent year-on-year reaching 36.6 TWh, according to the Spanish LNG terminal operator, Enagás.

This increase is the result of high conventional demand and higher deliveries of natural gas for power generation.

Conventional demand, which covers use by homes, businesses and industries, hit an all-time high in November. This was mostly due to greater natural gas demand by industry, which according to forecasts, will end the month at 18.6 TWh, the highest figure since records began to be kept.

Natural gas demand for the power sector will end the month at its highest since 2011, due to low hydroelectricity generation and the shutdown of two nuclear power plants in Spain, Enagás said.

In fact, natural gas deliveries on 16 November for power generation set a new record at 553 GWh, the highest figure in the last six years.

Combined-cycle power stations were ranked second in November as regards their weight in the energy mix – approximately 21% – highlighting the key role played by natural gas in guaranteeing power supplies, Enagás said.

To date, natural gas demand in Spain this year has grown by more than 9 percent over the same period in 2016 owing to growth in conventional demand and deliveries of natural gas for power generation.