Electricity Generation Up in March Quarter

Electricity Generation Up in March Quarter

Seasonally adjusted electricity generation increased by 2.6 percent in the March 2004 quarter compared with the December 2003 quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand.

In the March 2004 quarter, hydro generation (6,657 gigawatt hours) was 20.6 percent higher than in the March 2003 quarter, while thermal generation (2,373 gigawatt hours) was 20.0 percent lower than in the March 2003 quarter.

Hydro generation supplied 74 percent of the electricity generated in the March 2004 quarter, compared with 65 percent in the March 2003 quarter. Over the past 10 years, the average March quarterly contribution of hydro generation to the total electricity generated has been 71 percent.

In the year ended March 2004, gas production fell 25.7 percent compared with the year ended March 2003, and was 29.7 percent lower than in the year ended March 2002, when production reached the highest level recorded in a March year. Production of gas in the March 2004 year was 179,000 terajoules.

Production of refined petrol rose 5.3 percent to 1.6 million tonnes in the year ended March 2004 compared with the previous March year. Production of refined regular (91 octane) petrol was 8.5 percent higher on an annual basis, while production of refined premium (96 octane or higher) petrol fell 5.4 percent over the same period.

In the March 2004 quarter, deliveries of petrol (648,000 tonnes) and diesel (591,000 tonnes) to resellers and direct to industry were 5.8 percent and 3.3 percent higher, respectively, than in the March 2003 quarter.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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