According to the French gas transmission system operator (TSO) NaTran (previously GRTgaz), France’s gas consumption fell by 5.5% due to a much lower demand from gas-fired power plants (-56% compared to 2023), in a context of rising nuclear and renewable power generation (+13% and +12%, respectively). Whereas industrial consumption slightly increased (+0.8%), spurred by the chemicals, petrochemicals, agri-food and metallurgy sectors, domestic consumption on gas distribution networks (households, tertiary sector and small industry) fell by 1.4% in climate-adjusted data. Energy efficiency and energy savings efforts contributed to this decline, as gas consumption on distribution networks fell by more than 20% between 2021 and 2024. France also intensified its transit level, remaining an important entry point for LNG into Europe, accounting for 24% of European imports.
Renewable gas production saw a 26% increase to 11.6 TWh in 2024, the equivalent of two nuclear reactors, through 731 anaerobic digestion sites across all networks (+79 units). The country is accelerating the adaptation of its network to optimise production of renewable gases (+8 reverse flow stations), while new renewable gas production technologies (pyrogasification and hydrothermal gasification) are ready to be scaled up on an industrial scale. On hydrogen and CO2 transportation projects, NaTran has seen advances with three H2 projects (Barmar, HY-Fen, Rhyn) and two CO2 projects (DKharbo and GOCO2), which have obtained EU subsidies (€35m).
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