New Zealand's industrial electricity demand fell on the year in October-December 2024, after Rio Tinto cut production at its Tiwai Point aluminium smelter in the previous quarter.

The country's industrial electricity demand was down by 9pc compared with a year earlier, data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment show (see table).

Rio Tinto cut production at Tiwai Point in late-July 2024, after New Zealand utility Meridian Energy requested that it reduce its energy use by 205 MW. Many of the plant's potlines remained off line until late-September 2024, when Rio Tinto began restarting production at a reduced level.

The Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter is New Zealand's largest industrial energy user, consuming 572MW of power, often accounting for 12-13pc of national electricity demand, according to New Zealand's Electricity Authority. But it only accounted for about 10pc of total demand in October-December because of its lower production level.

Rio Tinto's decreased power use and the country's rising geothermal generation in October-December pushed New Zealand's coal- and gas-fired generation to their lowest levels since late-2022. Utilities produced 2.1PJ from coal- and gas-fired generation, down by 73pc on the quarter and by 42pc on the year (see table).

Coal- and gas-fired plants accounted for just 6pc of total generation in the fourth quarter of 2024, down from 19pc in July-September and 10pc a year earlier.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's renewable power generation grew in importance over October-December, even as the government continued taking steps to promote coal- and gas-fired generation. The share of renewable electricity rose to 94.3pc, the highest level since December 2022 and the fourth highest on record.

The New Zealand government is eager to promote oil, gas and petroleum generation, resources minister Shane Jones told Argus in December 2024. New Zealand's government has rolled back a ban on offshore gas exploration and has been fast-tracking coal developments since taking office in 2023.

The country's largest utility, Meridian Energy, also warned of a structural gas shortage in late February, calling for new gas exploration.


By Avinash Govind

Sumber: https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news-and-insights/latest-market-news/2667189-lower-rio-tinto-al-output-cuts-new-zealand-power-demand