2012

Australian
Energy
Update
August 2012
Clare Stark, Kate Penney and Alex Feng
 Commonwealth of Australia 2012

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Stark, C., Penney, K. and Feng, A. 2012, 2012 Australian Energy Update, BREE, Canberra, August.
Excel tables should be cited as:
BREE 2012, 2012 Australian Energy Statistics, BREE, Canberra, July.
ISSN 978-1-922106-34-6 (Print)
ISSN 978-1-922106-35-3 (Online)
From 1 July 2011, responsibility for resources and energy data and research was transferred from ABARES to the Bureau of Resources and Energy
Economics (BREE).
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2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 2

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their appreciation for the assistance and support provided by colleagues from the
Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, the Australian
Bureau of Statistics, and the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. Special thanks to
Andrew Schultz, formerly of the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, and to Glen Whitehead of the
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency who provided helpful advice during the compilation of these
statistics.

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 3

Foreword
The Australian energy sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation as it moves towards a clean energy
future. To help plan for this future Australia needs accurate, comprehensive and readily -accessible energy data.
The Australian Energy Statistics is the authoritative and official source of energy data for Australia and forms the
basis of Australias international reporting obligations. It is updated annually and consists of detailed historica l
energy consumption, production and trade statistics compiled from various sources. The data released by BREE at
the end of July covers the period 197374 to 201011 and this update uses this data series.
This report summarises the key results from the latest Australian Energy Statistics release.
I encourage you to access and use the data that is available at www.bree.gov.au.

Quentin Grafton
Executive Director/Chief Economist
August 2012

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 4

Contents
Acknowledgements 3
Foreword 4
Abbreviations and acronyms 6
Glossary 7
Conversions/Units 8
1. Summary 9
2. Sources, methodology and coverage 10
3. Consumption 12
4. Production and trade 15
Appendix 19

Figures
Figure 1: Australian energy consumption, by fuel type 12
Figure 2: Australian energy production, by fuel type 15
Figure 3: Australian electricity generation, by fuel type 16
Figure 4: Australian energy exports, by fuel type 18
Figure A1: Total primary energy supply 19
Figure A2: Total net energy consumption 19

Tables
Table 1: NGERS reporting thresholds 10
Table 2: 2012 Australian Energy Statistics Tables 11
Table 3: Australian energy consumption, by fuel type 13
Table 4: Australian renewable energy consumption, by fuel type 13
Table 5: Australian total final energy consumption, by industry 14
Table 6: Australian energy consumption, by state 14
Table 7: Australian energy production, by fuel type 16
Table 8: Australian electricity generation, by fuel type 17
Table 9: Australian energy exports, by fuel type 18

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 5

Abbreviations and acronyms
ABARES Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences
ABS Australian Bureau of Statistics
ADO Automotive diesel oil
AES Australian Energy Statistics
ANZSIC Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification
APS Australia Petroleum Statistics
BREE Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics
CSG Coal seam gas
DCCEE Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
FES Fuel and Electricity Survey
GWh Gigawatt hours
IDF Industrial diesel fuel
IEA International Energy Agency
FOE Fuel oil equivalent
LNG Liquefied natural gas (principally methane)
LPG Liquefied petroleum gas (principally propane and butane)
NEM National electricity market
NGERS National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme
NGL Natural gas liquids
ORF Other refinery feedstock
PJ Petajoules
PV Photovoltaic
RET Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
SRES Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme
TFEC Total Final Energy Consumption
TPES Total Primary Energy Supply

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 6

Glossary
Bagasse: Fibrous residue of the sugar cane milling process that is used as a fuel (to raise steam) in sugar mills.
Biofuels: Liquid fuels produced by chemical conversion processes that result in the production of ethanol and
biodiesel.
Biogas: Landfill (garbage tips) gas and sewage gas. Also referred to as biomass gas.
Black coal: Hard coal with high energy content. In Australia, anthracite, bituminous and sub -bituminous coals are
referred to as black coal.
Brown coal: Has a low energy and high ash content. It is unsuitable for export and is used t o generate electricity in
power stations located at or near the mine. Also referred to as Lignite.
Coal by-product: By-products such as blast furnace gas (from iron and steel processing), coal tar and
benzene/toluene/xylene (BTX) feedstock and coke oven gas (from the coke making process).
Coal seam gas: Methane held within coal deposits, bonded to coal under the pressure of water. It may also contain
small amounts of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Also referred to as coal seam methane and coal bed methane.
Included in natural gas in the AES tables.
Coke: A porous solid composed mainly of carbon and ash which is used in blast furnaces that produce iron.
Conversion: The process of transforming one form of energy into another (derived) form before final end use.
Energy used in conversion is the energy content of fuels consumed as well as transformed by energy producing
industries. Examples are gas and liquefied petroleum gas used in town gas manufacturing, all hydrocarbons used
as feedstock in oil refineries, and all fuels (including electricity) used in power stationstherefore, energy used in
conversion also includes energy lost in the production, conversion and transport of fuels (such as energy lost in
coke production) plus net energy consumed by pumped storage after allowance for the energy produced.
Crude oil: Naturally occurring mixture of liquid hydrocarbons under normal temperature and pressure.
Condensate: Hydrocarbons recovered from the natural gas stream that are liquid under normal temperature and
pressure.
Domestic availability: Total energy available for consumption within the economy. This measure can be compared
with total primary energy supply (TPES).
Liquid fuels: All liquid hydrocarbons, including crude oil, condensate, liquefied petroleum gas an d other refined
petroleum products, and liquid biofuels.
Natural gas: Methane that has been processed to remove impurities to a required standard for consumer use. It
may contain small amounts of ethane, propane, carbon dioxide and inert gases such as nitr ogen. In Australia,
natural gas comes from conventional gas and coal seam gas. Also referred to as sales gas in some sectors of the
gas industry.
Natural gas liquids: Derived from the natural gas stream in separation and/or liquefaction facilities, exclude s
methane.
Non-renewable resources: Resources, such as fossil fuels (crude oil, gas, coal) and uranium that are depleted by
extraction.
Petajoule: The joule is the standard unit of energy in general scientific applications. One joule is the equivalent of
one watt of power radiated or dissipated for one second. One petajoule, or 278 gigawatt hours, is the heat energy
content of about 43 000 tonnes of black coal or 29 million litres of petrol.
Petroleum: Generic term for all hydrocarbon oils and gases, including refined petroleum products.
Petroleum products: All hydrocarbons used directly as fuel. These include liquefied petroleum gas, refined products
used as fuels (aviation gasoline, automotive gasoline, power kerosene, aviation turbine fuel, lighting kerosene,
heating oil, automotive diesel oil, industrial diesel fuel, fuel oil, refinery fuel and naphtha) and refined products used
in nonfuel applications (solvents, lubricants, bitumen, waxes, petroleum coke for anode production and specialised
feedstocks). Included in oil aggregates in the AES tables.
Primary production: The forms of energy obtained directly from nature, involving on ly the extraction or collection of
the energy source. They include non-renewable energy sources such as coal, uranium, crude oil and condensate,
naturally occurring liquefied petroleum gas, ethane and methane, and renewable energy sources such as wood,
bagasse, landfill gas, hydroelectricity, wind energy, solar energy and geothermal energy. Also referred to as
indigenous production.
Renewable resources: Resources that can be replenished at a rate equal or greater than the rate of depletion, such
as biomass, hydro, solar, wind, ocean and geothermal.
2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 7
Secondary fuels: The forms of energy that result from transforming primary fuels. They include electricity, petroleum
products, liquefied petroleum gas produced in refineries and liquid biofuels produced through the transformation of
agricultural or waste feedstocks. Also referred to as derived fuels produced.
Solar energy: Generated when energy from the sun is converted into electricity or used to heat air, water and other
fluids.
Total final energy consumption: The total amount of energy consumed in the final or end-use sectors. It is equal to
total primary energy supply less energy consumed or lost in conversion, transmission and distribution.
Total net energy consumption: A measure of the total energy used within the economy. At an aggregate level, tot al
net energy consumption is equivalent to total primary energy supply.
Total primary energy supply: A measure of the total energy supplied within the economy. It is equal to indigenous
production plus imports minus exports, plus stock changes and statistical discrepancies. It includes the supply of
both primary and secondary fuels.
Uranium: a mildly radioactive element that once mined is processed into uranium oxide (U3O8).

Conversions/Units
Metric units Standard metric prefixes

J joule k kilo 103 (thousand)

L litre M mega 106 (million)

t tonne G giga 109 (billion)

g gram T tera 1012

Wh watt-hours P peta 1015

b billion (1000 million) E exa 1018

Standard conversions
1 barrel = 158.987 L
1 mtoe (million tonnes of oil equivalent) = 41.868 PJ
1 kWh = 3600 kJ
1 MBTU (million British thermal units) = 1055 MJ
1 m 3 (cubic metre) = 35.515 f 3 (cubic feet)
1 L LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) = 0.254 m 3 natural gas
Conversion factors are at a temperature of 15C and pressure of 1 atmosphere.

Indicative energy content conversion factors

Black coal production 30 GJ/t
Brown coal 10.3 GJ/t
Crude oil production 37 MJ/L
Naturally occurring LPG 26.5 MJ/L
LNG exports 54.4 GJ/t
Natural gas (gaseous production equivalent) 40 MJ/m 3
Biomass 11.9 GJ/t
Hydroelectricity, wind and solar energy 3.6 TJ/GWh

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 8

1. Summary
The 2012 Australian Energy Update outlines some of the major trends observed in the 2012 Australian Energy
Statistics, the authoritative and official source of energy data for Australia. The 2012 Australian Energy Statistics
includes historical revisions back to 200203 that incorporate improved information from the National Greenhouse
and Energy Reporting Scheme and the addition of data for 201011.
Key trends from the 2012 release include:
Australias total primary energy supply, the equivalent of total energy consumption, increased by 3 per cent
from 200910 to total 6100 petajoules.
In energy content terms, renewable energy (excluding biomass) recorded the strongest annual consumption
growth in 201011 at 20 per cent, followed by 7 per cent growth in both natural gas and oil consumption.
Total final energy consumption in Australia grew by 2 per cent to around 3800 petajoules in 2010 11.
Robust final energy consumption growth during 201011 was observed in the mining sector. Modest energy
growth occurred in the transport, residential, agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
In 201011 Australias energy production, in energy content terms, declined by 3 per cent to 16 600 petajoules
as lower production of coal, crude oil and uranium oxide more than off set increased natural gas and renewable
energy production.
Total electricity generation remained relatively unchanged at about 250 000 gigawatt hours in 2010 11.
Reduced coal-fired generation was offset by increased generation from natural gas and renewab le energy
sources (including solar, wind and hydro).
In energy content terms, Australias energy exports decreased by 3 per cent to around 13 300 petajoules in
201011 as exports of uranium oxide and black coal fell by 8 and 3 per cent, respectively.

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 9

2. Sources, methodology and coverage
The Australian Energy Statistics (AES) is the authoritative and official source of energy data for Australia and forms
the basis of Australias international reporting obligations. The primary source of information for the AES is data
compiled under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGERS).
NGERS provides a rich data set covering the production and consumption of fuels across the main energy
consumers and producers in a number of sectors, spanning from primary production, through transformation, to
final use. For large, energy-intensive sectors, including mining and non-ferrous metals, there is almost complete
coverage of the production and consumption of energy.
Under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007, businesses that consume and/or produce more
than a minimum level of energy are subject to mandatory reporting requirements. These thresholds are designed to
include all large energy consuming entities to ensure the majority of Australias energy consumption and production
is covered (table 1). Small and medium businesses with energy consumption or production less than these
thresholds are excluded from the NGERS dataset.

Table 1: NGERS reporting thresholds

Year Emissions Energy

Controlling corporations a

200809 125 000 tonnes carbon dioxide 500 terajoules

equivalent consumption/production
200910 87 500 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent 350 terajoules
consumption/production
From 2010 50 000 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent 200 terajoules
11 consumption/production
Facilities b

All years 25 000 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent 100 terajoules

consumption/production

Source: Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

a If a business breaks the controlling corporation threshold it must report its energy consumption, production and/or emissions data for each facility
under its control.
b If a business does not break the controlling corporation threshold, but one of the facilities under its control breaks the facility threshold, that
business is only required to report for that facility.

Prior to the introduction of NGERS in 2011, the Fuel and Electricity Survey (FES) compiled by the Australian
Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) was the primary data source for the AES.
The FES was a nationwide annual survey of around 1400 large energy users and producers and asked questions
on the quantity of fuels and electricity they produced and consumed. The survey respondents represented around
60 per cent of total Australian energy consumption.
The FES was discontinued following the establishment of NGERS so as to reduce the reporting required by
businesses. Mandatory NGERS reporting for entities consuming more than a defined threshold of energy should
improve the estimates of energy use for many industries that the FES was unable to adequately survey.
NGERS is a relatively new program and many companies are still adjusting to the required reporting o f energy
production, transformation and consumption information. Consequently, some revisions to the data initially reported
have been made by reporting entities. Information from other Australian Government agencies, state -based
agencies, industry associations and publicly available company reports are also used to supplement and/or validate
NGERS data. These sources include trade data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Bureau of
Resources and Energy Economics (BREE) commodity database and the Australian Petroleum Statistics (APS).
For the 2012 AES, historical d ata was revised back to 200203 to incorporate improved information from NGERS,
where appropriate, and to improve consistency in the time series. Further revisions to the time ser ies will be
undertaken on an ongoing basis as required.
The AES is developed through the process of balancing energy consumption with production and trade, where
much of the production and trade data is sourced independently. Ensuring internal consistency is an important
component of the AES so as to ensure that the estimates of energy consumption at an aggregate level are as
accurate as possible. The balance process was also used, in combination with other estimation techniques, to

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 10

provide estimates for energy consumption in sectors with low or no NGER coverage, including commercial and
services, agriculture and residential.
The AES provides detailed energy consumption and production statistics, by state and by fuel, at an industry -
specific level. The most detailed sub-sectoral coverage is provided in the energy-intensive manufacturing sectors
and for Australia as a whole. In some cases, particularly at the state level, specific industry detail is not able to be
released due to confidentiality reasons.
The data is compiled and presented using concepts and definitions intended to align the AES with the framework
used by the International Energy Agency (IEA). For example, production is categorised into primary production (raw
materials) and total primary energy supply which incorporates refining, electricity generation and trade activities
(see Appendix for a more detailed discussion). In addition, the consumption of energy commodities is assigned to
the activity not the industry of ownership. For instance, the consumption of fuel in a residential vehicle is treated as
a transport activity in the AES, while industry-based approaches such as the ABS Energy Accounts (catalogue no.
4604.0) would assign this use to the residential sector.
In order to better represent energy flows throughout the economy, the AES has traditionally used a modified form of
the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) codes introduced in 1993. This
modified classification structure contained additional classes in some industries and assumed aggregated energy
use in others where appropriate. To ensure consistency with NGERS, 2006 ANZSIC codes were introduced in the
previous release of the Australian Energy Update.
In the case where the 1993 ANZSIC codes do not directly correspond with the 2006 codes, either the AES or
NGER industry structure was adjusted by aggregating industries or existing data was transferred between codes to
maintain comparability between datasets. Most changes enforced by the 2006 ANZS IC codes take place within the
aggregated commercial and services sector, which do not materially affect the AES. As in the past, a modified
ANZSIC classification structure has been used, to better represent the nature of energy flows and maintain
consistency with international energy statistics conventions.
The AES consists of 15 tables that can be accessed at www.bree.gov.au. The AES tables should be cited as:
BREE 2012, 2012 Australian Energy Statistics, BREE, Canberra, July. Table 2 provides a summary o f the AES
data series that are available on the BREE website.

Table 2: 2012 Australian Energy Statistics Tables

Table A Australian energy supply and consumption, 200203 to 201011, energy units

Table B Total final energy consumption and total net energy consumption in Australia, by
industry, energy units

Table C Total final energy consumption and total net energy consumption in Australia, by
fuel, energy units

Table D Australian consumption of coal, by state, physical units

Table E Australian consumption of natural gas, by state, physical units

Table F Australian energy consumption, by industry and fuel type, energy units

Table G Australian energy consumption, by fuel type, physical units

Table H Australian production of primary fuels, physical units

Table I Australian consumption of electricity, by state, physical units

Table J Australian energy supply and trade, by fuel type, energy units

Table K Australian consumption of petroleum products, physical units

Table L Australian petroleum supply and disposal, energy units

Table M Australian energy imports, by fuel type, physical units

Table N Australian energy exports, by fuel type, physical units

Table O Australian electricity generation, by fuel type, physical units

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 11

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 12
3. Consumption
Australias total primary energy supply (TPES) can be used as a proxy for the total amount of energy consumed in
the Australian economy including energy consumed in the conversion sector, such as electricity. Total energy
consumption can also be referred to as net energy consumption (see Appendix). In 201011, Australian energy
consumption is estimated to have increased by 3 per cent to 6100 petajoules (figure 1).
In 201011, the share of coal in total consumption fell to 35 per centits lowest contribution since the early
1970sas a result of substitution away from coal to other energy sources in the electricity generation sector (table
3).

Figure 1: Australian energy consumption, by fuel type

Source: 2012 AES Table C.

Petroleum based products, including crude oil, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), contributed 36 per cent of
total energy consumed in 201011. Substantial increases in consumption of petroleum products in the mining,
petroleum refining, and chemical sectors accounted for the majority of the growth in oil consumption.
The contribution of gas (including natural gas and town gas) to energy consumption increased to 25 per cent in
201011. This was partly driven by the electricity generation sector where gas-fired generation has exhibited robust
growth.
Renewable energy consumption provides around 4 per cent of total energy consumption and in 2010 11, 6 per
cent higher than 200910.

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 13

Table 3: Australian energy consumption, by fuel type

growth share

PJ % % %

201011 201011 5 year average

annual growth

Coal 2 129 -4.0 -1.4 34.9

Oil 2 195 7.3 2.2 36.0

Gas 1 516 7.2 5.6 24.8

Renewables 260 5.6 -1.4 4.3

Total 6 100 3.0 1.4 100.0

Source: 2012 AES Table C.

Among the renewable energy sources, solar energy (such as solar PV and solar hot water) has had the fastest
growth increasing by 26 per cent in 201011, albeit from a relatively low base (table 4). This was partly driven by a
number of supportive government programs at both the national and state levels, including the small-scale
renewable energy scheme (SRES) which encouraged a more than threefold expansion of solar photovoltaics (PV)
generation capacity between 2009 and 2010.
Hydro energy consumption grew by 24 per cent in 201011. This growth was supported by increased inflows of
water, particularly in Tasmania, that have allowed for greater electricity generation.

Table 4: Australian renewable energy consumption, by fuel type

PJ growth %

201011 201011

Biomass 138 -5.4

Biogas/biofuels 27 18.1

Hydro 61 24.0

Wind 21 14.9

Solar 14 26.2

Total 260 5.6

Source: 2012 AES Table A.

Consumption of biomass, including wood and bagasse, accounts for more than half of renewable energy
consumption in Australia. Falling bagasse consumption contributed to an average decline in biomass consumption
of 7.4 per cent a year over the past five years, and an average 1.4 per cent decline in total renewable energy
consumption over the same period. In 201011, biomass consumption fell by 5 per cent as a result of reduced use
in the electricity generation sector. This was partially attributable to lower sugar production that reduced the
availability of inputs for electricity generation. In addition, a strong decline in bagasse consumption in the food,
beverages and textile industry contributed to reduced consumption.
Australias total final energy consumption (TFEC), which includes consumption of secondary fuels, is estimated to
have increased by 2 per cent between 200910 and 201011 to total 3839 petajoules (table 5). The strongest
growth was in the mining sector that increased year on year by around 10 per cent to total 389 petajoules while
energy consumption in the transport sector grew by 2 per cent primarily due to higher fuel use in the air transport
sector. Final energy consumption in the residential sector and other sectors, including agriculture , grew by around 2
per cent in 201011 relative to 200910.

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 14

Table 5: Australian total final energy consumption, by industry

PJ growth % share %

201011 201011 201011

Mining 389 10.4 10.1

Manufacturing and construction 1 047 0.8 27.3

Transport 1 479 2.0 38.5

Commercial 308 -0.3 8.0

Residential 452 1.7 11.8

Other 165 1.7 4.3

Total 3 839 2.2 100.0

Source: 2012 AES Table B.

Total final energy consumption in the manufacturing and construction sector increased by approximately 1 per cent
in 201011. Within this sector, strong growth in the chemicals industry (an increase of around 2 per cent to 227
petajoules) and the iron and steel industry (an increase of 5 per cent to 73 petajoules) more than offset lower
consumption in the wood, paper and printing industry (a decrease of 4 per cent to 74 petajoules).
Energy consumption across Australias states and territories largely refle cts the industry structure of each region.
Shifts in the composition of Australian industry from energy-intensive manufacturing to less energy-intensive
services over several decades, combined with the rising energy requirements associated with the mining boom,
have led to changing trends in regional energy consumption growth.
In 201011 total energy consumption increased in Western Australia and the Northern Territory by 10 and 6 per
cent, respectively (table 6). The main drivers of these increases were the liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing
and transport sectors.
In Queensland the petroleum refining, mining and transport sectors contributed to a 4 per cent increase in total
energy consumption. These sectors also underpinned a 3 per cent increase in South Australian total energy
consumption.
Total energy consumption increased by around 2 per cent in New Sout h Wales because of greater energy use
across multiple industries, including petroleum refining, transport, chemical and non -ferrous metals.
Tasmanian total energy consumption remained relatively unchanged as increased consumption in the transport,
electricity generation and mining sectors was offset by lower consumption in the residential and manufacturing
sectors.
Victorian total energy consumption declined by approximately 2 per cent because of lower energy consumption in
the transport and electricity generation sectors.

Table 6: Australian energy consumption, by state

PJ growth % share %

201011 201011 201011

New South Wales 1 639 1.6 26.9

Victoria 1 393 -1.6 22.8

Queensland 1 306 3.7 21.4

South Australia 350 3.3 5.7

Western Australia 1 182 10.2 19.4

Tasmania 109 0.0 1.8

Northern Territory 120 5.7 2.0

Total 6 100 3.0 100.0

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 15

Source: 2012 AES.

4. Production and trade

In 201011, Australia produced 16 640 petajoules of primary energy, almost three times higher than total
consumption. Energy production declined by around 3 per cent in 201011 relative to 200910, because of lower
production of coal, crude oil and uranium oxide that more than offset increased productio n of natural gas and
renewable energy (figure 2).

Figure 2: Australian energy production, by fuel type

Source: 2012 AES Table J.

The largest decline was in the production of black coal, which fell by 6 per cent in 2010 11, primarily because of
weather related disruptions in Queensland (table 7). The energy associated with the combined production of
Australian crude oil, condensate and LPG declined by 3 per cent in 201011. This was underpinned by cyclone
related disruptions to oil production facilities in the March 2011 quarter, flooding in the Cooper Basin, and planned
oil production outages in the North West Shelf. The increase in natural gas production in 201011 was largely a
result of increased production at the North West Shelf project in Western Australia.
Renewable energy currently accounts for about 2 per cent, or around 260 petajoules, of primary production in
Australia. Bioenergy sources such as wood, bagasse and biogas account for most renewable energy produced in
Australia, followed by hydro, wind and solar. In 201011, renewable energy increased by 6 per cent as lower
production of bioenergy was more than offset by higher production from hydro, solar and wind energy.

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 16

Table 7: Australian energy production, by fuel type

growth share

PJ % % %

201011 201011 5 year average

annual growth

Black coal 9 215 -6.2 2.5 55.4

Brown coal 727 -2.3 0.4 4.4

Oil 1 021 -3.4 -0.1 6.1

Natural gas 2 095 5.8 6.3 12.6

Uranium oxide 3 322 -0.6 -6.7 20.0

Renewables 260 5.6 -1.3 1.6

Total 16 640 -3.2 0.3 100.0

Source: 2012 AES Table J.

In 201011, Australian electricity generation remained unchanged at about 250 000 gigawatt hours (or around 900
petajoules) as increased gas-fired and renewable generation was offset by declining coal-fired generation (figure 3).
These changes illustrate the transition towards clean energy sources partly driven by supportive government policy.
Increased hydro generation, supported by increased water inflows, also contributed to higher renewable generation.
While generation in the National Electricity Market (NEM) has been declining since 200809, off-grid generation,
largely supported by growth in the mining sector, has been increasing rapidly. Factors constraining growth in total
electricity generation include reduced demand arising from rising retail electricity prices and milder weather, as well
as long-term structural changes associated with the growth of small-scale generation.

Figure 3: Australian electricity generation, by fuel type

Source: 2012 AES Table O.

a Includes multi-fuel fired power plants.

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 17

Electricity generation from renewable sources including wind, hydro and solar has increased rapidly in recent years
(table 8). Electricity generation from solar, hydro and wind increased substantially in 2010 11 relative to 200910
by 204, 24 and 15 per cent, respectively. This more than offset declining generation from bioenergy sources. The
strong growth in solar energy was largely a result of government policies that encouraged the increased uptake of
solar PV in the residential sector.

Table 8: Australian electricity generation, by fuel type

growth share

PJ % % %

201011 201011 5 year average

annual growth

Fossil fuels

Black coal 116 949 -5.5 -2.1 46.3

Brown coal 55 298 -1.4 0.3 21.9

Natural gas 48 996 9.9 16.6 19.4

Oil 3 094 -0.4 0.2 1.2

Other a 2 716 -9.2 39.3 1.1

Renewable energy

Bioenergy 2 102 -24.3 -11.7 0.8

Wind 5 807 14.9 27.7 2.3

Hydro 16 807 24.0 1.0 6.7

Solar PV 850 204.3 56.6 0.3

Total 252 619 0.2 1.6 100.0

Source: 2012 AES Table O.

a Includes multi-fuel fired power plants.

Australias exports of energy commodities declined by 3 per cent in energy content terms to total 13 312 petajoules
in 201011 (figure 4). This was largely a result of lower exports of uranium oxide and black coal because of
weather-related factors that reduced exports by 8 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively (table 9). In energy content
terms, coal accounted for 61 per cent (8053 petajoules) of Australias energy exports in 201011 while uranium
accounted for around one-quarter (3267 petajoules). Given the large share of these two commodities in energy
content terms, any changes in export volumes have a large effect on Australias total en ergy export volumes.

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 18

Figure 4: Australian energy exports, by fuel type

Source: 2012 AES Table J.

Partly offsetting declines in coal and uranium exports was a 12 per cent increase in exports of LNG in 201011 relative to
200910, as a result of increased production at the North West Shelf project.

Table 9: Australian energy exports, by fuel type

growth share

PJ % % %

201011 201011 5 year average

annual growth

Black coal 8 053 -3.3 4.1 60.5

Natural gas 1 086 11.7 10.7 8.2

Uranium oxide 3 267 -8.0 -7.5 24.5

Oil 907 5.4 4.9 6.8

Total 13 312 -2.9 0.8 100.0

Source: 2012 AES Table J.

Australia is a net importer of liquid hydrocarbons, including crude oil and most petroleum products. In 2010 11,
Australia exported around 907 petajoules of liquid fuels (excluding LNG, but including international bunkers) and
imported around 1921 petajoules. Net imports of liquid fuels increased by 9 per cent as imports grew at a faster
pace than exports.

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 19

Appendix
Energy statistics definitions
The Australian Energy Statistics (AES) definitions were changed in 2011 for the use of energy at the end -use stage
so as to conform with the International Energy Agency (IEA) definition for total final energy consumption (TFEC).
The IEA framework requires that conversion activities that occur within industry sectors be reallocated to the
conversion sector. In the new energy balances, all conversion activities have been transferred to the conversion
sector. As a result, it is possible to present TFEC instead of the previous gross final energy disposal. Conversion
activities that have been transferred to the conversion sector include electricity generation (previously included in
the sector in which it occurred), liquefied natural gas (LNG) manufacturing (previously included in the mining end-
use sector) and some chemicals manufacturing (for example, petroleum refining, which occurs in the chemicals
sector).
To better align the AES with the framework used by the IEA a number of new definitions have been introduced. Th e
energy statistics definitions currently used in the AES are detailed below.
Primary fuels: The forms of energy obtained directly from nature, involving only the extraction or collection of the
energy source. They include non-renewable fuels such as coal, ethane and methane, crude oil and condensate,
naturally occurring liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and uranium; and renewable fuels such as wood, bagasse,
landfill gas, hydroelectricity, wind energy and solar energy.
Secondary fuels: The forms of energy that result from transforming primary fuels. They include electricity, petroleum
products, LPG produced in refineries and liquid biofuels produced through the transformation of agricultural or
waste feedstocks.
Total primary energy supply (TPES): A measure of the total energy supplied within the economy. It is equal to
indigenous production plus imports minus exports, plus stock changes and statistical discrepancies. TPES includes
both primary and secondary fuels (figure A1).

Figure A1: Total primary energy supply

Total net energy consumption: A measure of the total energy used within the economy. At an aggregate level, total
net energy consumption is equivalent to total primary energy supply. It is equal to consumption of all fuels minus
the derived fuels produced within the economy. This is equivalent to the total consumption of primary fuels in both
the conversion and end-use sectors plus net imports of transformed fuels.
Total net energy consumption includes fuel inputs in conversion activities notably the consumption of fuels used to
produce petroleum products and electricityand own use and losses in the conversion sector. It also includes the
consumption of transformed fuels, such as refined petroleum products, that are not produced domestically. It do es
not include secondary fuels that are produced domestically, such as coke, coal by-products and petroleum
products, as the energy embodied in these fuels is already accounted for in the primary fuels that they are
produced from (figure A2).

Figure A2: Total net energy consumption

Total final energy consumption (TFEC): The total energy consumed in the final or end -use sectors. It is equal to
TPES less energy consumed or lost in conversion, transmission and distribution.

2012 Australian Energy Update August 2012 20