Electricity generation from coal New Zealand 2012-2021

New Zealand uses coal as a primary energy source, and in 2021, around 3.02 thousand gigawatt hours of electricity were produced from coal power plants in the country. While some coal is imported, most of the coal needed by the nation is mined from the many coalfields located throughout the country.

New Zealand coal

As of 2019, New Zealand had 18 producing coal mines, with the major coalfields located in the West Coast, Waikato, Southland, and Otago. The country requires coal for fueling industrial processes, particularly in the South Island where there is no piped gas system. Domestically extracted coal is converted to energy and used to produce cement, steel, and wool.

Energy from coal

New Zealand produces millions of metric tons of coal annually. A portion of this coal is exported, although that volume had been declining over the years. Coal accounted for just over seven percent of the energy supply in the country. Other than coal, New Zealand has a wide range of energy resources, many of which are renewable. In fact, New Zealand has one of the highest renewable energy shares of its total energy in the OECD.