Electricity Generation Higher

Electricity Generation Higher

Total electricity generation, after adjusting for seasonal variations, increased 1.8 percent in the September 2002 quarter compared with the June 2002 quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand.

Total electricity generation in the September 2002 quarter was 6.2 percent higher compared with the September 2001 quarter. The September 2001 quarter covered the period during which savings in electricity usage were promoted by Government due to the low levels of the hydro lakes.

In the September 2002 quarter, hydro generation was 42.6 percent higher compared with the September 2001 quarter. Thermal generation was 32.1 percent lower in the September 2002 quarter compared with the September 2001 quarter.

Hydro generation accounted for 69 percent of the electricity generated in the September 2002 quarter, compared with 51 percent in the September 2001 quarter. Over the past 10 years the quarterly average contribution of hydro generation to the total electricity generated has been 68 percent.

In the year ended September 2002, total electricity generation was 1.6 percent higher compared with the year ended September 2001.

Gas production was 12.0 percent lower in the September 2002 quarter compared with the September 2001 quarter. Gas is a leading source of thermal energy for electricity generation. Gas production was 249,000 terajoules in the year ended September 2002, 3.4 percent lower compared with the year ended September 2001.

Production of crude petroleum was 1.1 million tonnes in the year ended September 2002, a fall of 11.1 percent compared with the year ended September 2001. The volume of crude petroleum produced was 43.4 percent lower than in the year ended September 1991, when production peaked at 1.9 million tonnes.

In the September 2002 quarter, deliveries of petrol (589,000 tonnes) and diesel (537,000 tonnes) to resellers and direct to industry were 9.7 percent and 10.0 percent higher respectively than in the September 2001 quarter.

The total volume of petrol delivered in the year ended September 2002 was 5.9 percent higher than in the year ended September 2001. Deliveries of regular petrol (91 octane or less) totaled 1.8 million tonnes, an increase of 6.0 percent compared with the year ended September 2001.

Regular petrol accounted for 78 percent of the total volume of petrol delivered.

Deliveries of diesel in the September 2002 year amounted to 2.1 million tonnes, 7.6 percent higher than in the September 2001 year.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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