Rystad Energy predicts that global gas demand will drop nearly two percent this year. Thanks to declining commercial and industrial natural gas demand driven by lockdowns to curb COVID-19’s spread, Rystad Energy predicted Monday that global gas demand will drop nearly two percent this year. “2020 will be the first year since 2009 where there will be no growth in consumption,” Carlos Torres-Diaz, Rystad’s head of gas and power markets, commented in a written statement. “This will be a hard blow for an industry accustomed to yearly growth rates of more than three percent.” According to Rystad, global gas demand should total 3,878 billion cubic meters (Bcm) in absolute terms this year – down from 3,951 Bcm in 2019. Prior to COVID-19, the energy consultancy had projected that 2020 gas demand would hit 4,038 Bcm. Rystad also observed the change in a country’s gas demand has relied on factors […]