Diesel fuel demand from transport and industrial customers continues to increase, reflecting economic growth says a government department’s quarterly energy report.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has published the September 2014 New Zealand energy quarterly edition which says diesel consumption averaged 53,100 barrels per day.
Demand for oil products in the September quarter 2014 was up by 5% from the previous September quarter. This was driven largely by a 7% increase in demand for diesel, which showed its highest consumption yet for a September quarter.
“This quarter saw the highest September quarter diesel demand yet on record, with the increase concentrated in transport and industrial use,” says MBIE’s modelling and sector trends manager Bryan Field.
According to the report quarterly gas production was the highest seen in 12 years, and feedstock use of gas (mainly for methanol production) is now higher for the 2014 year to date than the entire 2013 year.
This was driven by Methanex, which has been running all three of its Taranaki facilities since the end of 2013.
The report also says that renewable electricity generation increased to 81.5% of New Zealand’s electricity.
This included an increase in geothermal generation of 16.2% compared to the September quarter 2013, and this increase was mainly due to the contribution from Contact Energy’s new geothermal plant, Te Mihi.
In the September and June quarters of 2014, geothermal generation contributed more electricity, than gas generation.
