CONSUMPTION of natural gas in Slovakia will gradually rise in the coming years, according to the Economy Ministry. The ministry has predicted the country’s consumption will rise to about 6.23 billion cubic metres this year, an increase of about 0.43 billion. According to an annual report that the ministry conducts each July, gas consumption will rise to 6.5 billion cubic metres in 2010 and 7.7 billion cubic metres in 2020. The ministry expects a moderate growth in gas consumption within the next 3-5 years due to construction of new sources to generate electricity and heat.
Consumption of natural gas in Slovakia dropped last year. The drop was 8.3 percent in the large corporate customer segment and 10 percent among small corporate customers. Household gas consumption fell by 13.5 percent. The ministry explained that the drop was due to a warm winter, saving measures and modernisation of technological facilities. The trend of using other fuels such as coal and wood continues in the household segment due to the price of natural gas for this category of clients.
The Russian Federation provides 98 percent of Slovakia’s natural gas supplies.
