Brussels: In January this year, natural gas consumption in the European Union increased by 10% year-on-year, reaching 47 billion cubic meters, APA-Economics reports, citing a report by the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the increase was mainly driven by stronger demand for space heating in the residential sector, as well as the recovery in gas use for electricity generation amid colder-than-seasonal weather conditions.

It was reported that during the same period, natural gas consumption in the US decreased by 1.1% year-on-year to 108.7 billion cubic meters. 'This is explained by weaker demand in the residential, commercial, and power generation sectors, despite cold weather conditions in some regions of the country,' the report notes.

It should be recalled that the transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) began on December 31, 2020.