Diesel Production Down in the March Quarter

7 June 2005

New Zealand Energy Statistics: March 2005 — Diesel Production Down in the March Quarter

Production of diesel was 16.6 percent lower in the March 2005 quarter than in the March 2004 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. Closure of the Marsden Point Refinery for 21 days over February and March, for upgrading of the crude distillation processing line, contributed to the drop in production.

In the March 2005 year, diesel production was down 11.7 percent compared with the March 2004 year. For the first time since the March 1994 year production of diesel was lower than petrol production. Imports of refined diesel increased to 663,000 tonnes in the March 2005 year, up from 355,000 tonnes in the previous March year.

Petrol production was down in the March 2005 quarter compared with the March 2004 quarter, but annual production was still up slightly on the March 2004 year. Seasonally adjusted electricity generation rose 0.8 percent in the March 2005 quarter compared with the December 2004 quarter.

Electricity generation by hydro and wind was 6.4 percent lower in the March 2005 quarter than in the previous March quarter. Renewable resources, such as hydro, wind, geothermal and biomass, produced 75 percent of the electricity generated for supply to consumers in the March 2005 quarter. The commissioning of new wind turbines boosted wind generation to a level nearly four times higher than in the previous March quarter. Wind generation now provides nearly 2 percent of the generation by renewable resources.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

ENDS

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