New light on primary industries' energy use

Businesses in New Zealand’s primary industries used 42,288 terajoules of energy in 2008, Statistics NewZealand said today.

This is roughly equivalent to the electricity used by 1.5 million households in a year, orfilling up a 40-litre petrol tank of a small car 80,000 times every day for a year. T

his energy is approximately9 percent of the total energy supplied to final consumers in New Zealand.

This and other energy usestatistics from the New Zealand Energy Use Survey are released today, filling a gap in information aboutenergy use in New Zealand.

The survey is designed to collect information on the use of electricity, liquid fuels, and other energy sourcesthroughout the economy. It also collected information on energy saving practices.

In 2008/09, its first year,the survey covered businesses in primary industries including agriculture, fishing, forestry, and mining.

Other industries will be surveyed in the following two years.Of the primary industries, mining (including petroleum extraction and exploration, quarrying, and services tomining), was the largest user of energy, with 24 percent of the total primary industry usage.

This wasfollowed by the sheep, beef cattle, and grain growing industry with just under 20 percent.

Diesel was the largest energy source for primary industries, making up 50 percent of the energy theyconsumed. The main use for diesel was in mobile off-road applications.

Other significant energy sourceswere electricity and petrol, accounting for 20 percent and 10 percent of the total energy source,respectively.

The survey was carried out by Statistics NZ in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development andthe Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.

Cathryn Ashley-Jones
Acting Government Statistician
27 July 2009
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See also the Hot Off The Press information release Energy Use Survey: Primary industries 2008.