Zero Russian gas imports to Greece in May for the second time in 2023. The lowest gas consumption compared to the same month of the previous five years was recorded, resulting from the decrease of gas use in electricity production (-23% compared to May 2022), while the cumulative decrease for the first five months of 2023 was 24.3%. According to the latest available monthly Eurostat data, Greece has reduced its use of Russian gas much more (-66.3%) in the first quarter of the year compared to the EU-27 average (-54.1%).
The month of May
According to the latest available data from DESFA, in May 2023, total domestic gas consumption was 3.19 TWh, lower compared to both the previous month (-17.8%) and the same month last year (-14.7%). It is noteworthy that the consumption in May 2023 was the lowest compared to the previous five years, while the second lowest had occurred in 2019. The overall decrease (-0.55 TWh) compared to May 2022 was driven by electricity production (-0.65 TWh) which was the lowest in the last five years for the month of May. In contrast, in industry and distribution networks small year-on-year increases (+0.06 TWh and 0.04 TWh respectively) were recorded.
Cumulative performance in the five months
Overall, for the first five months of 2023, gas consumption was 19.45 TWh, reduced compared to the same period of the previous five years (-4.95 TWh) and even more so when compared to the first five months of 2022 (-6.24 TWh), maintaining the lowest consumption compared to the corresponding period of the previous five years.
It is worth noting that all gas uses appear reduced compared to the five-year average. The largest decrease in absolute terms was in electricity (-2.82 TWh), followed by industry (-1.7 TWh), which showed the largest percentage decrease of 55.1%, and then networks (-0.4 TWh). This picture changes when comparing the first five months of 2023 with the same period of 2022, as industry recorded a slight increase of 4.5% (+0.06 TWh), while in electricity production and networks the consumption decreased (-4.81 TWh and -1.49 TWh respectively). Regarding all uses as a whole, a 20.3%decrease compared to the five-year average is noted, while compared to the previous year the decrease was even larger (-24.3%).
Consumption in 2023
After the temporary increase in consumption in April 2023 compared to the same month in 2022, in May 2023, the downward trend resumed as gas consumption (3.19 TWh) again decreased by 14.7% compared to May 2022. This is the second lowest consumption in the last sixteen months – since January 2022 – following the lowest consumption in October (2.68 TWh).
Regarding the distribution of gas consumption in end-uses, in the five months of 2023, the decrease in gas use in electricity production also reduced its share in end-uses to 60.7% (from 64.7% in the five months of 2022). In contrast, distribution networks increased their share to 32% in the first quarter of 2023 (30.1% in 2022), while there was a similar increase in industry of 7.3%, i.e. two percentage points higher than in 2022 (5.3%).
Imports in 2023
In terms of fossil gas flows from Greece’s four gateways, in May 2023, gas imports from Russia covering domestic consumption were zero for the second time this year[1]. The first time Russian gas imports were zero was last January. The Agia Triada gateway, with a liquefied fossil gas (LNG) flow of 3.12 TWh in May, continued to be the main source of entry with a 79.6% share of total fossil gas flows imported by Greece, although reduced compared to the same month last year (-5.79%). An even greater decrease compared to May 2022 was recorded in the natural flows imported from TAP via Nea Mesimvria (-35.3%), covering 0.72 TWh and a share of 18.4% of the country’s total imports. Much lower was the share covered by flows from Turkey via Kipoi (2%), which unlike the other two entry gates, recorded an increase in flows compared to May 2022 (+8.73%).
Cumulatively for the first five months of 2023, total imports from the four entry gateways into the country were 22.13 TWh. LNG imports through Agia Triada ranked first among the supply sources with 15.97 TWh – an increase of 18.5% compared to the same period in 2022 – and a 72.2% share. In contrast, there was a large 37.4% decrease in Azerbaijani gas imports via TAP, which with 3.8 TWh and a share of 17.3%, continued to rank second in the first five months of 2023. However, Russian gas imports covering domestic consumption decreased even more, as they shrinked to 77% compared to the same period in 2022. Thus, with just 1.53 TWh and a 6.9% share among the four entry gates, Russian gas covering domestic consumption ranked third among Greece’ssupply sources. Finally, the lowest contribution continues to be made by gas imported from Turkey through the gateway of Kipoi, with only 0.8 TWh and a share of 3.6% in the first five months of 2023.
Comparison with the European Union
Using the latest available Eurostat data on both monthly gas imports via gas pipelines and LNG (up to April 2023)[2], it is observed that Greece has managed to reduce its dependence on Russian gas more than the EU-27 average.
Cumulatively in the first quarter of 2023 Greece reduced gas imports from Russia by 66.3% compared to the same period in 2022, more than the EU-27 average of -48.9%. Especially for the month of March, Greece managed to reduce Russian gas by 87.2% compared to the same month in 2022, much more than the EU-27 (-54.1%).
You can read the analyses of other months here.
[1] Overall imports from Russia were higher in May 2023, but all of these were exported to Bulgaria.
[2] Some of the Eurostat data, especially for the last few months, are provisional and will be finalized in the coming months.
