Headlines
Spain's gas demand soars as power plants burn more since blackout
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on July 22, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on July 22, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Spain's gas demand rose 5.6% post-blackout, driven by a 41.2% increase in electricity generation. Gas exports to France also grew significantly.
MADRID (Reuters) -Spain has increased the amount of gas it burns to produce electricity as its power grids rely more on conventional gas-fired plants since a major blackout on April 28, gas grid operator Enagas said on Tuesday.
Conventional power plants like gas-fired combined cycle plants provide more stability to the grid's voltage than renewable sources such as wind farms and photovoltaic panels.
As a result, overall national gas demand rose 5.6% in the first half of the year, boosted by a 41.2% increase in demand to generate electricity, Enagas said.
Gas exports also rose in the period, in particular flows to France to fill its underground storage. Spain does not produce natural gas but re-exports gas shipped from producers such as the United States, Qatar and Russia to other European countries.
"Gas infrastructure plays a critical role in ensuring the security of the energy and electricity system and enabling the energy transition in Spain and Europe," Enagas Chief Executive Arturo Gonzalo said on Tuesday.
Spain's own underground gas storage facilities are over 75% full, he said, adding that this is above the 64% minimum the European Commission set for July 2025.
(Reporting by Pietro Lombardi. Editing by Inti Landauro and Mark Potter)
The increase in gas demand was primarily due to a major blackout on April 28, leading to a greater reliance on conventional gas-fired plants for electricity generation.
Overall national gas demand rose by 5.6% in the first half of the year, with a significant 41.2% increase attributed to electricity generation.
Spain's underground gas storage facilities are over 75% full, exceeding the 64% minimum set by the European Commission for July 2025.
Gas infrastructure is critical for ensuring the security of the energy and electricity system, as well as facilitating the energy transition in Spain and Europe.
Spain has increased gas exports, particularly to France, to help fill its underground storage facilities.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
