German industry group BDEW said on Wednesday that annual national use of natural gas increased by 3.3% in 2024 to 835 billion kilowatt hours (kWh).
This figure is observed in the context of Germany’s growing dependence on gas imports via intra-European pipelines other than those from Russia, which were interrupted during the war in Ukraine, and the liquefied natural gas (LNG) from abroad.
Europe’s largest economy imported 1% less gas than the previous year, with net revenues, excluding transit for import and export, amounting to 771 billion kWh.
Germany has the largest underground gas storage capacity in the European Union and has been able to meet its demand thanks to its stocks and small domestic deposits.
Most of the gas transported by pipeline comes from Norway, which accounts for 45.1% of national consumption, according to BDEW figures.
Some 9% of the total consumption was received at new landing terminals for liquefied and supercooled natural gas (LNG), which were built in Germany during the energy crisis, according to BDEW data.
Germany also receives pipeline gas from many other origins via import destinations elsewhere in Europe, and LNG via other EU landing terminals, where the LNG is regasified and injected into the pipeline networks trans-European.
Regarding the share of LNG, the dependence on the United States is clear: 91% of the total volume comes from the United States.
Separately, in preliminary electricity statistics, BDEW said gross electricity generation was 488.5 billion kWh in 2024, down 2.4% from the previous year, of which 58.1% came from renewable sources.
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