Australia Yearbook - 2001

Chapter 18—Energy 701
18.13 TOTAL ENERGY USE, Australia
1977–78 1982–83 1987–88
1992–93
Energy use
PJ
PJ
PJ
PJ
PJ
Exports of energy products
Black coal 1 111.0 1 608.4 2 910.4 3 660.6 4 612.9
Uranium 578.5 2 118.5 2 139.4 1 075.8 3 015.1
Other 164.0 157.3 430.3 847.3 1 229.0
Total exports of energy products 1 853.5 3 884.2 5 480.1 5 583.7 8 857.0
Conversion losses(a)
Electricity production 615.9 773.4 893.4 1 020.5 1 272.3
Other 308.3 255.9 252.6 275.9 314.8
Total conversion losses 924.2 1 029.3 1 146.0 1 296.4 1 587.1
Industry and residential use
Agriculture 43.3 49.7 55.1 61.1 68.8
Mining 72.9 75.4 118.2 191.8 264.6
Iron and steel 124.8 82.3 96.5 96.2 99.5
Chemical 95.4 107.1 125.9 129.8 149.5
Other industry 486.2 483.4 602.1 657.4 740.4
Construction 35.3 34.9 39.4 41.6 46.9
Road transport 572.8 646.2 761.9 829.2 936.0
Rail transport 30.5 28.2 32.7 29.3 29.4
Air transport 79.5 84.1 107.2 140.0 183.6
Water transport 114.3 74.6 59.6 45.6 53.4
Commercial 95.7 109.8 134.2 164.0 205.3
Residential 261.0 273.1 296.2 347.2 384.6
Other(b) 49.7 44.8 48.0 52.1 60.4
Total Industry and residential use 2 061.4 2 093.4 2 477.0 2 785.0 3 223.0
Total energy use 4 838.8 7 006.9 9 103.2 9 665.3 13 666.7
(a) The energy lost in the process of converting primary energy to secondary energy. (b) Comprises lubricants, greases, bitumen
and solvents.
Source: Unpublished data, ABARE.
1997–98
Table 18.14 shows estimates of energy supply
(the total amount of energy available during the
year, including imports, exports and changes to
stockpiles). During the period 1977–78 to
1997–98, the total energy produced in Australia
increased from 3,935 PJ to 12,171 PJ, an increase
of 209% (or an average annual increase of 5.8%
over the period). Imports, which are primarily
crude oil and petroleum products, have increased
at a lower rate (83%) than local production, from
593 PJ in 1977–78 to 1,084 PJ in 1997–98. Another
notable trend is the increase in production of
natural gas, from 283 PJ in 1977–78 to 1,272 PJ in
1997–98, reflecting the growth in the gas
distribution network.
Conservation initiatives
Australia is geologically fortunate in having very
large reserves of coal and natural gas. However,
as discussed in the Introduction, the
consequence of utilising fossil fuels is the release
of carbon dioxide locked away millions of years
ago. Ready access to cheap fossil fuel has also
meant that alternative energy sources have been
underdeveloped. The adoption of targets to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, established
under the Kyoto Agreement, has focused
attention on the efficiency with which we use
fossil fuels and the possible adoption of
renewable energy sources. Although representing
a small proportion of overall energy
consumption, perhaps the two most important
such initiatives are the 2% renewable energy
target and the development of Greenpower
schemes. These schemes represent a major
change in the approach to energy production in
Australia and may enable Australia to pioneer
new, innovative technologies that could form the
basis for important export industries.
Renewable energy resources are those that can
be used at a rate which can be sustained
indefinitely. The main forms are hydro-electricity,
solar heaters or photovoltaic cells, wind
generators, geothermal plants, ocean or tidal
generators and biomass generators (which use
organic-based fuel sources such as wood, bagasse
(sugar cane fibre), landfill gases and ethanol).