IEA expects European gas consumption to grow by 2.1 % per year
Gas consumption in OECD Europe is expected to grow faster than any other fuel, at a rate of 2.1 %/year between 2000 and 2030, resulting in 87 % growth from 482 bn cm in 2000 to 901 bn cm in 2030, director of the International Energy Agency's Long Term Office Olivier Appert said.
Some 72 % of this increase come from a rise in the use of gas in the power generation sector, where gas will take up the predominant share in market growth. Appert, presenting the Paris-based IEA's book on “Flexibility in natural gas supply and demand,” said gas production in OECD Europe was expected to remain stable at approximately 300 bn cmpy until 2020 and then fall slightly to 276 bn cm in 2030.
Given the limited gas resources in most European countries and rising demand, imports from countries like Norway, and from the outside the region are expected to continue to rise for the next two decades.