MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. Gas-fired power generation for electricity supply to datacenters for artificial intelligence (AI) may double by 2035 and boost natural gas demand by 60 bln cubic meters (bcm), the International Gas Union (IGU) said in its report.

"Gas is well positioned to provide the bulk of additional, flexible, dispatchable supply, while contributing to decarbonization goals. Studies indicate that Gas-fired generation for data centers could nearly double by 2035, equal to ~60 bcm of incremental supply," the organization said. Growth will total as much as 30 bcm by 2030 at the same time.

Overall, the global demand for electricity for AI datacenters will increase twofold by 2030 and total 800-1,000 TWh per hour, and it may double once again by 2040 and reach 1,800-2,000 TWh, IGU forecasts. This will account for 6-8% of the forecast global electric power demand by 2040, comparable with the total industrial consumption worldwide.

Although renewable energy sources will cover about a half of electric power generation for datacenters by 2030 (compared to about 27% now), their main disadvantage is unsteadiness and instability, which runs counter to the need of continuously supplying datacenters in the 24/7 mode, IGU said. This requires not merely greater power generation but also significantly higher dispatching capacity. Power banks may compensate fluctuations of renewable generation during the day but are not yet suitable for many-day or seasonal interruptions.

"In an environment where power availability is the defining constraint, Gas plays an indispensable role. Modern gas turbines provide rapid ramping, firm capacity and system stability, responding to data centers developers’ needs. IGU’s Global Gas Report 2025 stresses that Gas is not a transitional ‘bridge’ but a structural component of AI-era power systems, anchoring reliability alongside renewables," IGU stressed.