Europe’s industries are slashing their usage of natural gas, a sign that factories could be starting to slow production so the vital fuel can be stored for winter. “There has already been 15-20% gas demand destruction in Europe due to high prices, and countries are preparing to reduce demand further,” said Marco Saalfrank, head of continental Europe merchant trading at Axpo Solutions AG. In the UK alone, industrial gas use has fallen by about 49% through May, which is “staggering,” according to Citigroup Inc. It’s a worrying sign for the continent’s economic growth, with countries already struggling to contain ... (full story)