While making your design emergency action plan To comply with Brussels, the data reveal that Spain increase your gas consumption to generate electricity due to drought and sales to France decreases at home and industry. In the first seven months of 2022, gas demand to generate electricity rose 83.2% year-on-year to 72.9 terawatt hours (TWh), according to data from Enagas. The so-called conventional demand (consisting of industry and households and SMEs) was reduced by approximately 13% to a total of 150,837 TWh.
The usual thing is production electric with water While it represents around 12% of the production mix in Spain, it has not reached an average of 7% at the level of 2017 so far this year due to the drought plaguing the entire country. In addition, since November net electricity exporter to FranceWhile it is usual for the flow to take place in the opposite direction, as reflected in data from Red Eléctrica in recent years.
reasons for the rise sale to france there are two: half French nuclear power plants stopped for maintenance and The upper limit of the gas price in the Iberian Peninsula flows from south to north. Because, puts pressure on electricity demand and increases gas production, in the absence of another technology such as coal. (In the last two months, we must add demand growth to this equation. high temperatures directing the use of air conditioning).
In this context, Spain agreed with Brussels to reduce electricity consumption by 7% between 1 and 1. August (this Monday) and March 31, 2023 this year based on the average consumption of the last five years. By predictions thus made Monthly figures published by EnagásAverage gas consumption in the eight months since 2017 261.32 TWhof these 20% corresponds to SMEs and domestic demand, 54% to industry and 24% to electricity generation.. Spain with these numbers will reduce its consumption by 18.3 TWh in the next eight months.
The question now is how to do this. On Monday, the executive announced a campaign to limit the temperature inside public buildings to save energy, turn off the lights at night, close the doors in air-conditioned buildings, and review the boilers, urging citizens to consume consistently in moderation. . The manager did not specify how much this measure could reduce consumption, but precisely because SMEs and households have already reduced their gas use (4% in the last six months – June was last month in disaggregated figures – 13.8% in total). June).
in the same line, industry consumption decreased by 20.2% in June and by 11.8%, which has accumulated since January. “It will be 30% in July and August is going the same way. But not for efficiency due to high prices your energy. The industry can no longer stand”, assures Veronica Riverhead GasIndustrialemployers of large industrial gas consumers, such as the ceramics or chemical industry. “A mandatory stop (for the Ecological Transition) is not considered in the talks with the Ministry either, but efficiency measures,” he adds. For example, the promotion of renewable gases such as biogas or biomethane, green hydrogen, or voluntary disruption, he explains.
Therefore, the remaining leg electricity generation. At this point Rivière is your only option. Electricity exports to France exempted Adhering to these calculations to avoid penalizing it if Spain increases its gas consumption to generate more electricity to send to France. “This is in the hands of the Ministry and Europe because otherwise we would have to cut off the gas and stop sending”, explains Rivière. From the department headed by the Third Vice-President and Minister of Ecological Transition, Theresa Riveraexplain that it is recommended not to log in part of gas consumption that is consumption for third countriesbut they add that there is nothing concrete in its absence. design contingency plans It must be submitted to the European Commission before the end of September.