Network Development Statement 2010/11 to 2019/20 - Gaslink

3. Demand
3.1 Record Peak Gas Demands in 2010
2010 was a record year for gas demand, December 2010
was a record month for gas demand and the 7th of
January 2010 was a record day for gas demand. These
record gas demands coincided with some of the most
severe cold weather conditions on record, particularly the
month of December, which was the coldest month on
record at Dublin Airport, according to Met Éireann.
Gas demand in the month of December 2010, 6,671 GWh
(c. 605 mscm/m) grew by 6.0% on January 2010 (the
previous record month) and 11.7% on December 2009.
Demand on the 7th of January, 253 GWh/d (23.0 mscm/d)
was 9.5% up on the previous peak, 7th of January
2009. Even though a number of days in December
2010 realised similar levels of gas demand to the 7th of
January, they were slightly short on the 7th of January
peak demand record.
The electricity system also experienced record peak
demands during both January and December 2010. The
record demands combined with very low wind levels
and favourable gas prices relative to coal for electricity
generation, resulted in record gas demand for the power
generation sector.
The month of December 2010 was the coldest December
on record, corresponding with the coldest record day at
Dublin airport on the 24th of December, since records
commenced in 1942. The average temperature over a
24 hour period on the 24th of December was -8.6°c.
Similar freezing conditions occurred in early January,
particularly on the 7th and 8th of January, with an
average temperatures of c. -5.0°c.
The weather sensitive non-daily-metered sector, which
comprises of residential and small Industrial and
Commercial (I/C) customers, experienced record peak
daily demands of c. 95 GWh/d, in both January and
December.
Gas flows through the subsea inter-connectors (ICs)
exceeded 188.2 GWh (17.0 mscm/d), the design capacity
of IC1 on a number of days during the January and
December peak demand periods. Both gas supplies and
the Bord Gáis transmission system were sufficient in
meeting demand throughout the high demand periods.
Fig. 3.1: Actual demand by sector for January and December 2010
Demand (GWh/d)
January December 2010 Daily Demand
270
240
210
180
150
120
90
60
30
01 JAN 10
03 JAN 10
05 JAN 10
07 JAN 10
09 JAN 10
11 JAN 10
13 JAN 10
15 JAN 10
17 JAN 10
19 JAN 10
21 JAN 10
23 JAN 10
25 JAN 10
27 JAN 10
29 JAN 10
31 JAN 10
22 NOV 10
24 NOV 10
26 NOV 10
28 NOV 10
30 NOV 10
02 DEC 10
04 DEC 10
06 DEC 10
08 DEC 10
10 DEC 10
12 DEC 10
14 DEC 10
16 DEC 10
18 DEC 10
20 DEC 10
22 DEC 10
24 DEC 10
26 DEC 10
28 DEC 10
30 DEC 10
Power Tx DM I Dx DM I NDM Shrinkage Jan & Dec 09 Demand