Spain's six LNG terminals reloaded 8.39 TWh of LNG onto nine tankers in April, a 277% year-on-year increase, data published Friday by gas grid operator Enagas showed.
Spain's six LNG terminals also unloaded a total of 24 tankers with 17.4 TWh of LNG during April, an increase of 29% year on year, the company said.
By terminal, Barcelona received four cargoes with 3.12 TWh and reloaded none; Huelva unloaded five for 4.12 TWh and reloaded three for 3.08 TWh; Cartagena unloaded four for 3.69 TWh and reloaded three for 3.20 TWh; Bilbao unloaded one for 846 GWh and reloaded none; Sagunto unloaded eight for 3.83 TWh and reloaded one for 849 GWh; and Mugardos unloaded two for 1.80 TWh and reloaded two for 1.26 TWh, according to the data.
As a result of the increasing reloads, throughput of natural gas from LNG terminals into the national system was down 28% in the month to 7 TWh, with declines at Barcelona (down 22%), Cartagena (down 41%), Blbao (down 37%) and Mugardo (down 65%) and increases at two: Huelva, up 16% and Sagunto, up 9%.
Overall, Spanish natural gas imports increased 3.3% year on year to 33.06 TWh in April, with piped imports down 15.4% to 15.6 TWh, Enagas said.
Volume from Algeria via the Medgaz link fell 8% year on year to 6.10 TWh, whereas imports through the Maghreb link from Algeria via Morocco fell 26% to 6.02 TWh. Elsewhere, volume imported from France increased 23% to 3.46 TWh, Enagas said.
Exports to Portugal decreased, dropping 22% year on year to 559 GWh, the company said, while exports to France in March were 42 GWh, down 94% from 758 GWh last April.
In the power generation segment, coal overtook gas as primary backup to the country's grid, leaving gas plants providing 49% of backup power to the country's system, Enagas said. This compared with a year-ago figure of 54%, according to company data.
Gas contributed a total of 6% to the country's power mix during the month, up from 5% a year ago. Demand for gas-fired generation increased 9.8% year on year to 3.12 TWh.
