USE OF ENERGY

Australian Energy Use tables record details of use of primary and secondary energy by product and industry. Primary energy products are forms of energy obtained directly from nature including coal, natural gas, solar and wind energy, crude oil, uranium, biomass and LPG (which can also be a secondary energy product). Secondary energy products are derived from primary energy sources and include refined products, electricity, liquid/gas biofuels and coal by-products.

Australia's total energy use increased by 3,479 PJ or 19% over the period 2001–02 to 2008–09.

The export market was the single largest consumer of Australian energy products, accounting for 13,810 PJ or 63% of total gross energy use in 2008–09. In particular, exports of primary energy grew from 10,392 PJ in 2001–02 to 13,684 PJ in 2008–09 (a 32% increase), to account for 99% of total energy exports in 2008–09. Exports of black coal rose by 32% (5,630 PJ in 2001–02 to 7,411 PJ in 2008–09), while exports of uranium rose by 37% (3,463 PJ in 2001–02 to 4,754 PJ in 2008–09). Together, black coal and uranium made up the vast majority of energy products exported in 2008–09. Crude oil exports fell from 886 PJ in 2001–02 to 617 PJ in 2008–09 (a fall of 30%), reflecting decreasing domestic oil production.
Total domestic use of energy products showed a small increase from 7,852 PJ to 8,207 PJ (or 5%), between 2001–02 and 2008–09.

The electricity, gas, water and waste services industry used the largest amount of primary energy in 2008-09. The industry used 2,434 PJ of primary energy in 2008-09 (including 2,007 PJ of coal and 391 PJ of gas), and generated 881 PJ of electricity. The manufacturing industry also used a large amount of primary energy (2,282 PJ, or 43% of total domestic use of primary energy) in 2008-09. Primary energy use by households showed a 32% increase over the period (194 PJ in 2001–02 to 257 PJ in 2008–09). Household use of primary energy was dominated by gas, which contributed 75% of total household use of primary energy in 2008–09. Primary energy use by the mining industry grew by 88% over the period 2001–02 to 2008–09, from 136 PJ to 256 PJ. This increase was largely driven by large increases in gas use by the mining industry over the period (from 128 PJ in 2001-02 to 248 PJ in 2008-09).

Conversion losses occur in the production of refined products from crude oil and the generation of electricity from fossil fuels (coal and natural gas). Nearly all crude oil production that is not exported is consumed in the manufacture of refined products. Of the 1,481 PJ of crude oil used by the chemical manufacturing industry (essentially petroleum refiners), 1,254 PJ of refined products were produced.


Refined products (eg. petrol and diesel) and electricity together constituted 95% of total domestic secondary energy use. Households used 26% of total domestic secondary energy use in 2008-09. Household use of secondary energy predominantly consisted of refined products (71% of secondary energy use by households in 2008–09), with the remainder being electricity usage. Secondary energy use by households grew by 6% between 2001–02 and 2008–09.

The manufacturing industry was responsible for a further 20% of domestic secondary energy use in 2008-09. Most of this (54%) was electricity use, with 29% coming from refined products and most of the remainder from coal by-products. The transport industry was another large user of secondary energy, consuming 479 PJ or 17% of domestic secondary energy use in 2008-09. Refined products constituted 97% of all secondary energy use by Transport.