Gas at a Crossroads

The report finds that the EU is proposing or building gas infrastructure worth €99 billion, which would increase import capacity by over 30% despite existing capacity already being nearly double current consumption. This expansion contradicts EU climate goals to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, which require a sharp reduction in fossil gas use. The author highlights that many of these projects, including those on the European Commission's 4th list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI), are unnecessary for energy security and risk becoming stranded assets. Additionally, the report notes that EU gas-fired power plants are currently underutilized compared to global averages and are increasingly uncompetitive against renewable energy portfolios.

• The EU is currently developing gas infrastructure projects totaling €99 billion, comprising €52 billion for pipelines, €12 billion for LNG import terminals, and €35 billion for gas-fired power stations.
• Proposed and under-construction infrastructure would add 233 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year to the EU's import capacity, representing an increase of more than 30% over the current capacity of 707 bcm per year.
• The EU already possesses significant excess gas infrastructure, with an import capacity nearly twice as high as its actual gas consumption.
• Expansion of gas infrastructure via the 4th list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) is deemed unnecessary for EU gas security through 2030, even during extreme supply disruptions from Algeria, Belarus, or Ukraine.
• Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 will require a sharp reduction in fossil gas consumption, meaning new long-lived infrastructure (with lifespans of 30 to 40+ years) risks becoming stranded assets.
• EU gas-fired power plants are significantly underutilized compared to other regions; the average systemwide load factor for gas in the EU was 34.9% in 2018, lower than Japan (51.1%), North America (37.5%), and the global average (40.0%).
• Alternative methane sources, such as biogas and synthetic methane, are unlikely to fully replace fossil gas due to high costs and limited potential, with 2050 projections for their combined use being only about one-quarter of the 2018 fossil gas consumption rate.

APA

Inman, M. (2020). Gas at a Crossroads. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Gas_at_a_Crossroads_EU_11.pdf

Chicago

Inman, Mason. Gas at a Crossroads. Global Energy Monitor, 2020. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Gas_at_a_Crossroads_EU_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Inman |first1=Mason |title=Gas at a Crossroads |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=February 2020 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Gas_at_a_Crossroads_EU_11.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{inman2020gas, author = {Inman, Mason}, title = {{Gas at a Crossroads}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2020}, month = feb, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/Gas_at_a_Crossroads_EU_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }