Natural gas demand in Italy so far in November was some 14.7% higher year on year, led by a sharp rise in gas demand from the thermoelectric sector, an analysis of gas grid operator Snam Rete Gas data shows.
In the first 27 days of November 2016, a total some 6.54 billion cubic meters were consumed in Italy, against around 5.7 Bcm in the same period in 2015.
That was mostly on the back of natural gas demand from power plants reaching 2.11 Bcm in the first 27 days of the month, some 27.9% higher year on year. Some 1.65 Bcm were consumed in the same period in 2015 for electricity generation, the data shows.
Meanwhile, industrial demand and local grids demand for heating posted a smaller year on year gains. Industrial demand accounted for 1.1 Bcm so far in 2016, against 994 million cubic meters in 2015. While local grids demand was at 3 Bcm in 2016, against 2.9 Bcm in the same period the previous year, Snam Rete Gas reported.
In its monthly report on the Italian gas and power markets, energy exchange manager Gestore Mercati Energetici (GME) had already highlighted a sharp rise in gas demand in October, driven by higher power plants consumption, adding this was on the back of weak hydro and wind generation.