Gas is a natural resource and a very environmentally-friendly source of energy. Gas emerges from the group of fossil fuels including petroleum, lignite and hard coal, as the resource with the lowest emissions. It contains only little amounts of sulfur and no chlorine or fluorine. Furthermore, the carbon concentration in gas is lower than in other fossil fuels. Therefore, in comparison to coal only about half as much carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour is emitted during gas combustion.

In Germany, gas is the third most important energy fuel, following oil and coal. Some two thirds of the nation’s demand for energy is covered by imports. Russia is the main originator of imports in Germany, but the country also has trading relationships with Norway, the Netherlands and the UK.

E.ON Energie and its subsidiary E.ON Kraftwerke also use gas to generate electricity, e.g., in power stations driven by gas and steam turbines employing combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) technology.