The amount of gas used by UK natural gas-fired power plants to generate electricity has risen above 80 million cu m/d in recent days for the first time in at least six years, data from National Grid showed Friday.
Some 84 million cu m of gas was used to generate electricity in the UK on both Tuesday and Thursday, marking the first time the 80 million cu m/d barrier was breached since at least October 2010.
Gas-for-power demand in the UK has been significantly higher year on year in 2016 due to the closure of coal-fired power plants and more favorable generation economics in recent years.
Indeed, the total gas-for-power demand for November breached the 2 Bcm mark for the second successive month, rising 7% month on month and 69% year on year to 2.14 Bcm at an average 71 million cu m/d.
The last time UK gas-for-power demand was above 2 Bcm for a calendar month was January 2011.
With gas-fired generation economics more favorable than in recent years - - despite NBP prices having rallied since the beginning of the winter-delivery period -- gas-for-power demand was expected to remain elevated for the remainder of December and into early 2017.
