Spain sharply increased its use of natural gas to generate electricity in 2025 after a nationwide power outage in late April forced operators to rely more heavily on stable power sources to protect the grid, the country’s gas grid operator Enagas said on Tuesday.
The blackout on April 28 exposed vulnerabilities in Spain’s power system, prompting grid managers to lean more on gas-fired plants, which are better at controlling voltage and frequency than renewable sources but are more expensive to run.
As a result, gas demand for electricity generation jumped by about one-third over the year, Enagas Chief Executive Arturo Gonzalo said during a call to discuss the company’s 2025 results.
The shift also boosted Spain’s role as a regional energy hub, with natural gas exports to neighbouring France surging by roughly 59% as the country refilled its underground storage facilities.
Overall gas exports from Spain rose by 17%, underlining the growing importance of its infrastructure in supplying energy across Western Europe.
Looking ahead, Enagas said Spain’s liquefied natural gas network has around 2,100 unloading slots and about 1,000 loading slots available through 2040, giving the system ample capacity to handle future trade flows.
“These figures show the strength and resilience of the Spanish gas system,” Gonzalo said, as the company positions itself to support both domestic power stability and cross-border energy security.