Total natural gas consumption reached 325.4 TWh this year, marking a 10.7% decrease from 2022 according to Enagás data. The shift reflects lower electricity demand across the sector and a stronger emphasis on efficiency and storage management within the year.
Specifically, demand for conventional usage by households, businesses, and industry totaled 229.9 TWh. This pattern was largely driven by a modest rise in industrial consumption, which rose by 3.9% and reached 169.8 TWh as factories and manufacturing facilities maintained steady operation throughout the year.
Gas demand for electricity generation stood at approximately 95.6 TWh, showing a 30.8% decline after peaking in 2022. The drop follows a historical high for electricity-related gas use in 2022 and underscores shifting fuel mix and efficiency gains in power plants during the year.
Spain emerged as the non-producing country with the largest LNG re-exports in 2023, handling 22.1 TWh. Additionally, gas exports to Europe via pipelines through France, including the Irún and Larrau interconnectors, rose by 6.1% to 37.5 TWh, contributing to the resilience of European energy supplies and strengthening regional energy security.
In April, Spain set a historical monthly export record to France at 6.52 TWh. By May 17, a new daily peak was reached with 261.5 GWh in a single day, representing 98.7% of France’s capacity for gas imports that day.
Enagás highlighted that, in a European energy landscape shaped by conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza region, the Spanish gas system operated with full availability around the clock, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This performance was described as a sign of great robustness and resilience in the national gas framework.
Storage levels exceeded 2022 figures
Natural gas filling levels in underground storages finished the year above 90%, reaching a peak of 100% in August and remaining over 80% in regasification plants. These values were consistently higher than those in the previous year, underscoring strong storage discipline and risk management ahead of potential winter demand fluctuations.
Regasification plants in Spain demonstrated high supply diversity with 17 different supply sources in 2023, positioning Spain as a strategic entry point for liquefied natural gas (LNG) into Europe. This diversity supported smoother import flows and greater flexibility in meeting regional needs.
Spain contributed to the broader energy security of Europe by delivering gas through interconnectors and by refilling LNG carriers bound for other European Union countries such as Italy and Germany. The development of infrastructure projects like the Musel E-Hub was aimed at strengthening Europe’s supply security and enhancing cross-border gas coordination across the continent.