Gas demand in Spain fell by 4% in the first quarter of the year, as a decline in its use to produce electricity and keep homes warm during a mild winter offset rising industrial needs, gas network operator Enagás said Tuesday.

Gas demand has contracted over the past two years as the contribution of renewable sources to the country's energy mix has increased, reducing the amount of gas burned to produce electricity.

In the first quarter of the year, the amount of gas used to produce electricity was 24% lower than a year earlier.

Mild winter temperatures led to a decline of more than 10% in domestic gas consumption.

Industrial demand, including that of large consumption sectors such as refining, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, increased by 8.4%.

(Reporting by Pietro Lombardi; editing by Kirsten Donovan; Spanish editing by Javi West Larrañaga)