Gas is used to generate electricity, as a fuel or as a source of heat. Information about what is currently the second most important energy source in Germany.
After mineral oil, natural gas is the second most important energy source in Germany. The combustible, natural gas mixture is stored underground and is often found together with petroleum, since both are formed in a similar way.
Gas is used to generate electricity, as fuel for ships and motor vehicles or as a heat supplier. Around half of German households use natural gas to cover their heating requirements.
The mixture of substances is non-toxic, colorless and odorless and mainly consists of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4), which, in addition to carbon dioxide (CO2), contributes significantly to global warming – even if natural gas is compared to other fossil fuels such as coal or oil, according to the National Academy of the Sciences Leopoldina has a better climate balance.
According to the German Institute for Economic Research, consumption in 2020 was around 86.8 billion cubic meters. The most important customers were households and industry, each with 29 percent, and the energy sector (28 percent). Since domestic production only accounts for a small part of total consumption, Germany imported around 95 percent in 2021 – mainly from Russia, Norway and the Netherlands.
The most important connection for Russian natural gas is the 1,224-kilometer Nord Stream pipeline, which went into operation at the end of 2011 and runs through the Baltic Sea to Lubmin (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). In the meantime, the delivery volume through this pipeline has dropped significantly. Berlin put the approval process for the parallel Nord Stream 2 pipeline on hold shortly before Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Norway supplies its natural gas by pipeline through the North Sea.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
