European Gas Demand On Upswing
European gas consumption increased significantly with 2010 consumption of 522 billion cubic meters of gas recording a 7.2 percent increase over the previous year.
A particularly cold winter and a rebound in European economies post crisis contributed to increased the demand.
The United Kingdom continued to be the largest consumer, followed by Germany and Italy. The strongest increase in gas consumption was recorded by Sweden, with an increase of around 34 percent.
About a third of Europe's gas needs are sourced locally, however the greater demand led to increased imports.
Russia provided 23 percent of European gas imports, followed by Norway (19 percent) and Algeria (10 percent).