New Zealand's renewable electricity generation reaches record high

Wellington: New Zealand achieved 91 per cent renewable electricity generation in the June 2023 quarter, a 10-percentage point increase from the June 2022 quarter, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on Thursday.

The latest New Zealand Energy Quarterly, covering April to June 2023, provides quarterly data and analysis on energy supply, demand, prices, and associated greenhouse gas emissions, reports Xinhua news agency.

"This is the highest renewable electricity generation percentage achieved for any June quarter since records began in 1980," said Mike Hayward, manager of the Markets in the Digital, Data & Insights group of MBIE.

April to June's high renewable figure this year was driven by high rainfall levels topping up hydro lakes.

The completion of the Turitea wind farm in Palmerston North also contributed to the wind generation share of the mix, he said.

Hydro generation was up by 25.2 per cent on the June 2022 quarter, while coal generation was down 71.7 per cent and gas generation was down 45.7 per cent compared to the same period last year, Hayward said.

This quarter also saw an increase in net gas production, up 9.4 per cent, and a drop in industrial coal use, down 22.6 per cent in the same quarter last year, he said.