Energy in Australia

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Structure of the Australian Electricity Market The Australian electricity market is made up of three separate large-scale systems: the National Electricity Market (NEM), the Western Australian Market, and the Northern Territory Market. These markets are distinct from one another due to their geographical separation and the high costs of transporting electricity over such distances. In each market, electricity is generated by generators and this electricity is sent out via transmission networks to electricity distributors and largescale end users, such as large industrial facilities. Electricity distributers then distribute electricity to smaller-scale end users, including residential, commercial and industrial. Electricity retailers buy electricity in wholesale markets and sell it to end users, packaged to include the costs of generation, transmission and distribution, and the retail services. National Electricity Market (NEM) The NEM refers to both the wholesale market in which electricity is traded, and the physical interconnected electricity grid of the eastern states. The grid extends from Port Douglas in Queensland, through New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania, and across to Port Lincoln in South Australia, connected by six major transmission interconnectors and approximately 804,000 kilometres of transmission and distribution lines. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) is responsible for the operation of the NEM. AEMO schedules electricity to be dispatched from specific generators to create a gross energy pool, which is then sent out in order to meet demand. Western Australia There are two large electricity markets in Western Australia: the North West Interconnected System (NWIS) and the South West Interconnected System (SWIS). The two systems are not connected electronically. The NWIS network consists of about 8,000 kilometres of transmission and distribution lines and covers an area of approximately 2.3 million square 38 ENERGY IN AUSTRALIA 2015
kilometres, predominantly covering the mining areas in the north. These areas include the Kimberly, Pilbara, Gascoyne, Mid West and Esperance, Hopetoun and Norseman in the Southern Goldfields. The SWIS accounts for approximately three-quarters of generation in Western Australia and includes Perth. Approximately 98,500 kilometres of transmission and distribution lines make up the SWIS. The Independent Market Operator (IMO) administers and operates the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) which covers the buying and selling of electricity in the SWIS. Northern Territory There are three small, separate electricity systems in the Northern Territory: the Darwin-Katherine, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek regulated systems. There are also a number of mini-grid systems in remote mining and indigenous communities. Electricity production Electricity generation in Australia has been declining since 2010–11, with a decline of 0.6 per cent in 2013–14 to 248 terawatt hours. This decline is in response to lower demand for electricity in the NEM. In contrast, generation increased in Western Australia (8 per cent growth in 2013–14) and the Northern Territory (5 per cent), which can largely be attributed to continued expansion in off-grid generation, particularly in the mining sector. Off-grid generation accounted for an estimated 12 per cent of total electricity generation in 2013–14. Coal-fired power stations continue to provide the majority of Australian electricity generation, as coal is a relatively low cost and abundant energy source. However, the share of black and brown coal in the generation mix fell to 61 per cent in 2013–14, down from 79 per cent a decade ago. This is its lowest share since 1996–97. Gas is Australia’s second largest source of electricity generation, accounting for 22 per cent of generation in 2013–14. Generation from gasfired plants increased by 6.5 per cent in 2013–14, with recent capacity additions in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. ENERGY IN AUSTRALIA 2015 39
Page 1: Energy in Australia 2015 WWW.INDUST
Page 4 and 5: Department of Industry, Innovation
Page 6 and 7: Contents Foreword v Data sources IX
Page 8 and 9: 8. Petroleum 93 Overview 94 Primary
Page 10 and 11: Abbreviations and acronyms ABS AEMC
Page 12 and 13: Economic contribution The energy in
Page 14 and 15: Table 1.2: Australia’s energy pro
Page 16 and 17: Energy consumption Australia’s en
Page 18 and 19: Figure 1.5: Australia’s energy ex
Page 20 and 21: Box 1: Energy flows through the Aus
Page 22 and 23: Figure 1.9: Energy trade insight Au
Page 24 and 25: Overview Energy can be extracted or
Page 26 and 27: Map 2.1: Australia’s energy resou
Page 28 and 29: Oil Australia has limited resources
Page 30 and 31: Uranium Australia has the world’s
Page 32 and 33: Map 2.2: Australia’s solar energy
Page 34 and 35: Figure 2.4: Australia’s wind ener
Page 36 and 37: Overview Australia consumed 5,831 p
Page 38 and 39: Table 3.1: Energy consumption, inte
Page 40 and 41: Table 3.2: Australia’s primary en
Page 42 and 43: Table 3.3: Australia’s energy con
Page 44 and 45: Table 3.5: Australia’s energy bal
Page 46 and 47: Table 3.6: Total final energy consu
Page 50 and 51: Generation from renewable fuels con
Page 52 and 53: Table 4.2: Top 10 electricity gener
Page 54 and 55: Table 4.3: Australia’s principal
Page 56 and 57: Energy efficiency improvements have
Page 58 and 59: Figure 4.5: Australian electricity
Page 60 and 61: In Queensland, Western Australia, T
Page 62 and 63: Rooftop solar panels, Sydney Austra
Page 64 and 65: Overview In Australia, renewable en
Page 66 and 67: Table 5.1: Australia’s renewable
Page 68 and 69: Electricity generation Around 44 pe
Page 70 and 71: The location of renewable energy pr
Page 72 and 73: Solar energy Solar has been the mos
Page 74 and 75: Table 5.4: Australia’s solar PV e
Page 76 and 77: Coal being loaded onto a ship, Newc
Page 78 and 79: Overview Australia is the fourth la
Page 80 and 81: Figure 6.2: Australia’s black coa
Page 82 and 83: Table 6.1: Australia’s coal consu
Page 84 and 85: Figure 6.6: World’s largest metal
Page 86 and 87: Low emissions coal Burning fossil f
Page 88 and 89: Overview Gas — conventional and u
Page 90 and 91: In 2014-15 coal seam gas production
Page 92 and 93: Figure 7.2: Australia’s gas produ
Page 94 and 95: Table 7.2: Gas consumption, by stat
Page 96 and 97: Figure 7.6: Australia’s gas marke
Page 98 and 99:
Map 7.2: Australian LNG trade by ma
Page 100 and 101:
Prices The majority of Australian L
Page 102 and 103:
Figure 7.9: Retail household gas pr
Page 104 and 105:
Overview Australia produces a range
Page 106 and 107:
Figure 8.2: Australia’s primary p
Page 108 and 109:
Figure 8.3: Australia’s refinery
Page 110 and 111:
Figure 8.5: Australia’s refined p
Page 112 and 113:
Table 8.4: Australia’s diesel con
Page 114 and 115:
Figure 8.9: Australia’s energy co
Page 116 and 117:
Figure 8.11: Australia’s petroleu
Page 118 and 119:
Table 8.6: Australia’s petroleum
Page 120 and 121:
Reserves Figure 9.1: Share of globa
Page 122 and 123:
Production Figure 9.5: Energy produ
Page 124 and 125:
Consumption Figure 9.9: Primary ene
Page 126 and 127:
Figure 9.13: Energy imports, top 10
Page 128 and 129:
Figure 9.17: Coal fired electricity
Page 130 and 131:
Prices Figure 9.21: OECD household
Page 132 and 133:
Figure 9.23: OECD diesel prices, 20
Page 134 and 135:
Table A.2: Conversion between units
Page 136 and 137:
Table A5: Gross energy content of g
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Energy in Australia

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