Brussels points Spain as one seven countries violating the ‘volunteer’ discount 15% of consumption gas between August 1 and March 31 Comparison of average consumption for the same months (August-March) between 2017 and 2022. Statistics office of the European Commission, Eurostatshape 11% reduction in gas consumption in spain.
The Spanish Government, for its part, argues that it has achieved its purpose, set reduction in consumption to 21%after subtracting the fuel used to produce the electricity from the calculation export with France and Portugal before it was stopped nuclear power plants and low hydraulics in both countries. If the focus is on import balance of the last five yearsAccording to the calculations of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the decrease in demand is 23%.
According to the statistical arm of the Commission, the “majority” of European Union countries -15% target achieved announced last summer. The exception, in addition to Spain (-10.8%), Ireland (-0.2%), Slovakia (-1.0%), Poland (-12.5%), Slovenia (-13.8%) and Belgium (-14.5%) and also malt (smallest gas consumer of all gas-using Member States), 12.7% increase in consumption. The highest falls are in Finland (-55.7%), Lithuania (-40.5%) and Sweden (-37.2%). Natural gas consumption has increased throughout the European Union. decreased by 17.7% on average.
agreement signed by Twenty seven including a Voluntary reduction of 15% of your gas consumption From August 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023, both individually and collectively, relative to the previous five-year average for this period. That’s why you can’t hit the target does not mean any punishmentbut what was it about trying to encourage countries to reduce their consumption of this raw material in the midst of attempts by the continent to rid itself of Russian gas.
Inside emergency on security of supply, commitment will go be requiredbut exceptions to this rate for some countries, after many revolted this summer when they saw 15% as too high a rate. This is the case for Spain, which will have to reach a lower target of 6% and 7% when exporting on alert. significantly more electricity to France and Portugal with extremely low availability of hydroelectric or nuclear energy.
According to government figures, export electric in that eight months Upgraded to France. stop your nukes up to 9.4 terawatt-hours (TWh), compared to imports that averaged 3.9 TWh in the same period of the last five years. In the case of Portugalelectricity sales were 3.8 TWh.
A few weeks ago, European countries agreed to maintain these targets to prepare the continent for another winter year from this April to the end of March 2024, compared to the average consumption over the same period (April-March). the last five years (2017-2022).