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• EDF July 2005
• A. Energy Overview

• Energy Information

• Publications

• Energy Data File

• Previous Editions

• Energy Flows
  • Table A.1: Energy Supply and Demand Balance 2004
• Primary Energy Supply (PJ)
  • Table A.2: Total Primary Energy Supply 1974-2004
  • Chart A.2a: Total Primary Energy Supply 1974-2004
  • Chart A.2b: Total Primary Energy Supply Shares 2004
• Energy Transformation
  • Table A.4a: Total Consumer Energy by Fuel
  • Chart A.4a: Total Consumer Energy by Fuel 2004
• Consumer Energy Demand
  • Chart A.4b: Total Consumer Energy Fuel Shares from Calendar Years 1974 to 2004
  • Table A.4b: Total Consumer Energy by Sector
  • Chart A.4c: Total Consumer Energy by Sector 2004
  • Table A.4c: Total Renewable Consumer Energy
  • Chart A.4d: Total Renewable Consumer Energy 2004
• Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • Chart A.5: Ene_rgy CO2 Emissions Sectoral Share
• Energy Outlook

New Zealand's total primary energy supply rose 2.2% to 766PJ compared with the calendar year 2003 level of 749PJ. This was due to an increase in the primary energy supply of net indigenous oil (18%), coal (18%), hydro (14%), other renewables (5.6%), geothermal (2.8%) and imported oil and oil products (0.5%), while the primary energy supply of gas decreased by 10%. Annual per capita end use of total energy was 126GJ (about 21 barrels or 3,364 litres of oil). New Zealand's total consumer energy was dominated by domestic transport, with 213PJ or 41% of total consumer energy.

Statistics in this overview are in gross petajoules (PJ) and relate to calendar year 2004 unless otherwise specified. For a full description of terms used, see the Glossary, Section K.

A.1 Energy Flows

Energy flows through the New Zealand economy from supply to end use, with some energy being transformed from one type to another (such as from coal to electricity) in the process. These energy flows are displayed graphically on page 6 and tabulated as an energy balance in Table A.1 below. Note that international transport and non-energy use are, for graphical simplicity, included on the demand side of the figure but by statistical convention on the supply side of the table.

This table summarises the detailed energy balances presented in Table B.2I.

Total primary energy supply, energy transformation, and consumer energy demand are discussed and presented in detail in the remainder of this overview, followed by sections on energy greenhouse gas emissions and the energy supply and demand outlook to 2025.

A.2 Primary Energy Supply (PJ)

Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) is the amount of energy available for use in New Zealand for energy transformation and end use. It includes energy as it is first obtained from natural sources, which means that coal is accounted for as it is mined, indigenous oil and natural gas as they are extracted from wells, imported oil and oil products as they are imported, and hydro as it is used for electricity generation (assuming efficiency of 100%). Geothermal is accounted for on the basis of its use as an input to electricity generation (assuming efficiency of 10% from years 1974 to 1999 and 15% from year 2000) including cogeneration, plus an estimate of losses, own use and geothermal used directly as a heat source. TPES includes imports but excludes exports, and makes allowance for any stock change. By convention, fuels used for international transport are excluded from TPES.

Chart A.2a: Total Primary Energy Supply 1974-2004

New Zealand's TPES for calendar years 1974 to 2004 is presented in Table A.2 and Chart A.2a. TPES was 766PJ in calendar year 2004, up 95% on the 393PJ supplied in calendar year 1974. Net indigenous oil supply and imported oil and oil products (for definition of terms used see Glossary, Section K) dominate TPES, accounting for 275PJ of the total of 766PJ supplied in calendar year 2004. Table A.2 shows that, in calendar year 2004, primary energy supply of net indigenous oil, coal, hydro, other renewables, geothermal and imported oil and oil products increased by 18% (from 15PJ to 18PJ), 18% (from 78PJ to 92PJ), 14% (from 85PJ to 97PJ), 5.6% (from 52PJ to 55PJ), 2.8% (from 83PJ to 85PJ) and 0.5% (from 257PJ to 258PJ) respectively, compared with calendar year 2003. Primary energy supply of gas fell by 10% (from 179PJ to 161PJ) between 2003 and 2004.

Chart A.2b: Total Primary Energy Supply Shares 2004

Chart A.2b shows New Zealand's TPES shares for calendar year 2004. TPES increased 2.2% to 765.6PJ compared with 749.2PJ in calendar year 2003. In 2004, oil provided 275.5PJ (36.0%), gas 160.5PJ (21.0%), hydro 97.3PJ (12.7%), coal 92.2PJ (12.0%), geothermal 85.0PJ (11.1%) and other renewables 55.1PJ (7.2%) of TPES. In total, fossil fuels contributed 528.2PJ or 69% and renewables 237.4PJ or 31%.

A.3 Energy Transformation

New Zealand's energy transformation industry includes petroleum refining, petrochemicals and electricity generation. New Zealand has one oil refinery: its main feedstocks are imported crude, blendstock and indigenous crude and condensate. In 2004, 95% of refinery input was from imported crude and refinery feedstocks, and the other 5% was from indigenous crude and condensate.

Total petrochemicals consumption in calendar year 2004 was 51PJ, up 11% on the 46PJ consumed in calendar year 2003. This was mainly due to an increase in gas usage for the production of methanol in Methanex's plants at Motunui and Waitara. In 2004, 32% of New Zealand's natural gas extracted was used for petrochemicals for the production of chemical methanol and ammonia/urea.

Major gas consumer Methanex Corporation's New Zealand plant was expected to produce between 0.5 million tonnes and 1 million tonnes of methanol from its plants in 2004. This estimate was based on contracted natural gas and additional natural gas Methanex believed it would contract. Methanex New Zealand produced 120,000 tonnes of methanol during the first quarter 2005 compared with 260,000 tonnes of methanol produced during the fourth quarter 2004. The reduction in methanol production is a consequence of natural gas supply constraints.

In 2004, 64% of the total input into electricity generation, including cogeneration, was from renewable resources (hydro contributed 33%, geothermal contributed 22% and other renewables contributed 9%), 21% was from gas and 15% was from coal. Of the total renewable energy input, hydro contributed 52%, geothermal contributed 34% and other renewables such as wind, biogas, wastes and wood made up 14%. Overall, energy transformation in 2004 was around 9% lower than in 2003. This was mainly due to a decrease in total thermal fuel requirements for electricity generation.

A.4 Consumer Energy Demand

Consumer energy is energy used by final consumers. It excludes energy used or lost in transformation and in bringing the energy to the final consumers. For example, natural gas is a source of primary energy, some of which is transformed into electricity, of which some is used or lost in transmission and distribution to consumers.

Chart A.4a: Total Consumer Energy by Fuel 2004

The total consumer energy by fuel for calendar years 1995 to 2004 is presented in Table A.4a and illustrated in Chart A.4a for calendar year 2004. Total consumer energy (observed) increased by 2.0% to 514.7PJ in 2004 compared with 504.4PJ in 2003. The most significant percentage increase came from geothermal direct use (up 8.6%). Oil consumption comprises around 248.5PJ (48.3%), electricity 139.3PJ (27.1%), gas 42.5PJ (8.2%) and coal 39.9PJ (7.8%), while other renewables such as biogas, wastes, wood and solar made up 29.8PJ (5.8%) with geothermal direct use of 14.6PJ (2.8%). Compared with the year before, the relative share of geothermal direct use, other renewables, electricity, gas and oil increased by 8.6%, 5.7%, 5.6%, 3.8% and 2.0% respectively in 2004, while coal fell by 14% between 2003 and 2004.

Chart A.4b: Total Consumer Energy Fuel Shares from Calendar Years 1974 to 2004

The shares of consumer energy by fuel from calendar years 1974 to 2004 are illustrated in Chart A.4b. Compared with 1974, electricity and gas increased their share of total consumer energy from 21% and 3.3% respectively to 27% and 8.3% respectively in 2004. Geothermal direct use increased its share slightly from 2.5% in 1980 to 2.8% in 2004. The shares of oil, coal and other renewables declined from 55%, 15% and 6.4% in 1974 to 48%, 7.8% and 5.8% respectively in 2004.

Chart A.4c: Total Consumer Energy by Sector 2004

Total consumer energy by sector from 1995 to 2004 is presented in Table A.4b, and the shares in 2004 are illustrated in Chart A.4c. Total consumer energy by sector rose 2.0% between calendar year 2003 and calendar year 2004. The most significant upward contribution to the total consumer energy by sector came from the commercial sector (up 8.6%). Out of all the sectors, domestic transport consumption (excluding international transport) accounts for the largest share, 41.3% of total consumer energy. Compared with calendar year 2003, total consumer energy use by the commercial, residential, domestic transport and industrial sectors increased by 8.6% (from 44.8PJ to 48.6PJ), 5.0% (from 59.6PJ to 62.5PJ), 2.4% (from 207.7PJ to 212.7PJ) and 1.4% (from 169.8PJ to 172.1PJ) respectively. Total consumer energy use by the agriculture sector fell by 17% from 22.6PJ to 18.7PJ between 2003 and 2004.

Chart A.4d: Total Renewable Consumer Energy 2004

Table A.4c shows total renewable consumer energy for calendar years 1995 to 2004. Total renewable consumer energy was 148PJ in calendar year 2004, up 13% on the 132PJ consumed in calendar year 2003. During calendar year 2004, renewable electricity contributed 104PJ or about 75% of total electricity consumption.

A.5 Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions²³

Chart A.5: Energy CO₂ Emissions Sectoral Share

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from fuel combustion in the energy sector were about 30 million tonnes in 2004. The energy sector contributed around 90% of New Zealand's national gross human-made CO₂ emissions with the remainder from industrial processes. Chart A.5 shows New Zealand energy CO₂ emissions by source, excluding international transport, in 2004. In calendar year 2004, emissions from the domestic transport sector accounted for 14,110kt (47.5%), thermal electricity generation 6,041kt (20.3%), the industry sector 5,026kt (16.9%), the other sectors 3,411kt (11.5%) and the other energy transformation industries 1,117kt (3.8%).

Other greenhouse gases emitted from energy sources include nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄). It is important to note that in New Zealand the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions is agriculture. On a CO₂ equivalence basis, agriculture accounted for 49% of total national emissions in 2003, followed by the energy sector (43%), industrial processes (5%) and waste (2%).

A.6 Energy Outlook

The Ministry of Economic Development's Energy Modelling and Statistics Unit publishes an occasional Energy Outlook (see page 180 for details). A comprehensive set of projections was published in October 2003. With a number of changes in assumptions now required, the next publication is due by mid 2006.

¹ This entry makes allowance for stock changes.

² "Other Renewables" includes electricity generation from wind, biogas, industrial waste and wood, and solar water heating.

³ Provisional.

⁴ "Other Renewables" includes electricity generation from wind, biogas, industrial waste and wood, and solar water heating.

⁵ "Other Renewables" includes electricity generation from wind, biogas, industrial waste and wood, and solar water heating.

⁶ Excludes cogeneration.

⁷ Excludes cogeneration.

⁸ "Other Renewables" includes direct use of biogas, industrial waste, wood and solar.

⁹ Totals may not add up due to rounding.

¹⁰ Excludes cogeneration.

¹¹ Excludes cogeneration.

¹² "Other Renewables" includes direct use of biogas, industrial waste, wood and solar.

¹³ Excludes cogeneration.

¹⁴ Excludes cogeneration.

¹⁵ "Other Renewables" includes direct use of biogas, industrial waste, wood and solar.

¹⁶ Excludes cogeneration.

¹⁷ Excludes cogeneration.

¹⁸ Totals may not add up due to rounding.

¹⁹ Excludes cogeneration.

²⁰ Excludes cogeneration.

²¹ "Other Renewables" includes direct use of biogas, industrial waste, wood and solar.

²² "Other Renewables" includes direct use of biogas, industrial waste, wood and solar.

²³For more information see Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2004 [3972 KB PDF], details on page 180.

²⁴Petroleum refining, and oil and gas extraction and processing.