RWE warns on European gas demand
The German utility paints a sobering picture for the future of the fuel, even in a lower price environment
Low carbon heating systems and a huge growth in renewables will continue to drive down northwest European (NWE) gas demand, which has been structurally decreasing since the financial crisis, Andree Stracke, chief commercial officer at the supply and trading arm of German utility RWE, told the Flame gas conference in Amsterdam in May. The RWE base case for NWE gas demand is 227bn m³/yr in 2030, down from 267bn m³/yr in 2018 and from 309bn m³/yr in 2010. Its high case scenario is 275bn m³/yr, but its low case is just 178bn m³/yr. Substitution in the retail sector will drive the highest demand decrease. Electric heat pumps are a "real killer", says Stracke, along with wood pellets and better in
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