European Union Industrial Energy Use with a Focus on Natural Gas

Publication:
CIEP, December 2017
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Introduction

Very little information is publicly available to understand industrial energy and in particular industrial gas demand in the EU. In this briefing paper we attempt to do just that by presenting some facts. What are the energy needs of the industrial sector, how are they met now, and the question that led to this research, what is the position of natural gas in meeting this industrial energy demand? The latter is important for understanding how stable industrial gas demand is (and why) against the background of the proposed energy transition pathways, also with regard to the complexities involved in energy transition when looking at industry. Some industries rely quite heavily on natural gas for their energy consumption and feedstock needs, while other industries might have more options to fulfil that demand with alternative sources. Some industries also greatly benefit from the clustered geography in their energy choices, while others have a different set of resources optionality.