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• EDF January 2006
• A. Energy Overview

• Energy Information

• Publications

• Energy Data File

• Previous Editions

• A.1 Energy Flows
  • Table A.1: Energy Supply and Demand Balance 2004
• A.2 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
• A.3 Energy Transformation
• A.4 Consumer Energy Demand
  • Table A.4a: Total Consumer Energy by Fuel
  • Chart A.4a: Total Consumer Energy by Fuel 2004
  • 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
• A.5 Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • Chart A.5: Energy CO₂ Emissions Sectoral Share
• A.6 Energy Outlook

New Zealand's total primary energy supply rose 3.7% to 777 PJ compared with the calendar year 2003 level of 749 PJ. This was due to an increase in the primary energy supply of net indigenous oil (18%), coal (24%), hydro (15%), other renewables (16%), geothermal (2.8%) and imported oil and oil products (0.7%), while the primary energy supply of gas decreased by 10%. Annual per capita end use of total energy was 126 GJ (for example this is equivalent to about 21 barrels or 3,364 litres of oil). New Zealand's total consumer energy was dominated by domestic transport, with 213 PJ 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.

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 as New Zealand's Energy Flows for Calendar Year 2004 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.

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.

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

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 777 PJ in calendar year 2004, up 98% on the 393 PJ supplied in calendar year 1974. Net indigenous oil supply and imported oil and oil products (for definition of terms used see Glossary, Section L) dominate TPES, accounting for 276 PJ of the total of 777 PJ 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 15 PJ to 18 PJ), 24% (from 78 PJ to 97 PJ), 15% (from 85 PJ to 98 PJ), 16% (from 52 PJ to 61 PJ), 2.8% (from 83 PJ to 85 PJ) and 0.7% (from 256 PJ to 258 PJ) respectively, compared with calendar year 2003. Primary energy supply of gas fell by 10% (from 179 PJ to 161 PJ) 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 3.7% to 776.6 PJ compared with 748.9 PJ in calendar year 2003. In 2004, oil provided 275.6 PJ (35.5%), gas 160.5 PJ (20.7%), hydro 97.9 PJ (12.6%), coal 96.9 PJ (12.5%), geothermal 85.0 PJ (10.9%) and other renewables 60.8 PJ (7.8%) of TPES. In total, fossil fuels contributed 533 PJ or 69% and renewables 243.6 PJ 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, 94% of refinery input was from imported crude and refinery feedstocks, and the other 6% was from indigenous crude and condensate.

Total petrochemicals consumption in calendar year 2004 was 51 PJ, up 11% on the 46 PJ 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 Valley. In 2004, 32% of New Zealand's natural gas extracted was used for petrochemicals for the production of chemical methanol and ammonia/urea.

In 2004, 64% of the total input into electricity generation, including cogeneration, was from renewable resources (hydro contributed 34%, geothermal contributed 22% and other renewables contributed 8%), 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 1% 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.

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 3.3% to 515.9 PJ in 2004 compared with 499.2 PJ in 2003. The most significant percentage increase came from other renewables (up 25%) where new data has been used for 2004 based on research carried out by BRANZ and geothermal direct use (up 8.6%). Oil consumption comprises around 248.5 PJ (48.2%), electricity 133.4 PJ (25.9%), gas 44.1 PJ(8.5%) and coal 39.9 PJ (7.7%), while other renewables such as biogas, wastes, wood and solar made up 35.3 PJ (6.9%) with geothermal direct use of 14.6 PJ (2.8%).

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. Out of all the sectors, domestic transport consumption (excluding international transport) accounts for the largest share, 41.2% of total consumer energy. Compared with calendar year 2003, total consumer energy use by the commercial, residential and domestic transport sectors increased by 10% (from 43.8 PJ to 48.3 PJ), 14.9% (from 57.8 PJ to 66.4 PJ) and 2.4% (from 207.7 PJ to 212.7 PJ) respectively. Total consumer energy use by the agriculture sector fell by 16.5% from 23.7 PJ to 19.8 PJ while the industrial sector showed little change.

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

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

Chart A.4c: Total Consumer Energy by Sector 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 148 PJ in calendar year 2004, up 15.5% on the 128 PJ consumed in calendar year 2003. During calendar year 2004, renewable electricity contributed 98 PJ or about 75% of total electricity consumption.

A.5 Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions²²

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 14,313 kt (47.6%), thermal electricity generation 6,066 kt (20.2%), the industry sector 5,093 kt (16.9%), the other sectors 3,475 kt (11.6%) and the other energy transformation industries 1,119 kt (3.7%).

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 Information Group publish Energy Outlook with energy supply, demand and price projections, generally looking out 25 years (see page 192 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.