ENTSOG Southern Corridor (SC) Gas Regional Investment Plan (GRIP) 2014-2023 / Main Report

3.5 The impact of renewables on gas demand in the Southern Corridor countries According to the Directive 2009/28/EC renewable sources should cover at least 20% of total gross final energy consumption 1) in the whole EU by 2020. Each member state has to achieve at least an agreed rate of energy production from renewable sources. In the Southern Corridor Region there are no available yearly data in all countries about the usage of renewable sources in primary energy production over the next ten year. We can assume that most of the renewable technologies will appear in the power generation sector and that this might reduce the gas demand for power generation or will, at least, reduce the growth of gas demand for power generation. Although this assumption is reasonable in terms of possible negative impacts on the overall gas demand, the same is not true for peak demand requirements, due to the inherent intermittent nature of RES.

Image courtesy of Snam Rete Gas

1) Gross final consumption of energy is defined, in Directive 2009/28/EC on renewable sources, as energy commodities delivered for energy purposes to final consumers (industry, transport, households, services, agriculture, forestry and fisheries), including the consumption of electricity and heat by the energy branch for electricity and heat production and including losses of electricity and heat in distribution and transmission.

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Southern Corridor GRIP 2014–2023