Property & Build: August - September 2021

Page 50

August - September 2021

Was banning oil and gas exploration a mistake? ENERGY

As New Zealand tries to move closer towards decarbonisation, last year saw the highest level of coal-based electricty generation in a decade, says Total Utilities Managing Director Richard Gardiner

N

ew Zealand’s electricity and natural gas markets are inextricably inter-linked. Electricity and gas compete as alternative energy sources, but rely on each other for production. Electricity generation is the second biggest user of natural gas after methanol production by Methanex.

50 infrastructurenews.co.nz

Gas is the second biggest source of electricity generation after hydroelectricity. With this intricate dependence on one another, the effective management of our national energy strategy (including electricity and gas etc) is critically important. The outright prohibition three years ago of all new

offshore oil and gas exploration, is having a profoundly negative impact on the natural gas sector and hence on the health of the electricity sector. No matter how well intentioned this original decision was, it was not thought through properly at the time. It’s unfortunate that, as

a result of these policies, coal-based electricity generation in 2020 was the highest for a decade. This coincided with the lowest gas-based electricity generation for nine years. Given that coal emits 1.9 times more CO2, on a gigajoule-for-gigajoule basis than natural gas, this is an environmental step backwards. We understand coal imports of 1 million tonnes from Indonesia in 2020 are currently on course to triple in 2021. Recently the Government has seemed more accepting of natural gas as a transition energy source on the road to 100% renewability. The negative impacts of the prohibition have been compounded by various other negative electricity supply and demand factors since then: • Rebounding electricity demand following the Global Financial Crisis in 2008. • Back-to-back very dry


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Infrastructure Skills Centre offers “work experience for a lifetime”

3min
pages 102-103

Chemical safety relies on meaningful cooperation

3min
pages 104-106

Is standardised training the way forward?

2min
page 99

Safety app a crucial element in building site safety

3min
pages 100-101

Industry leader in soft fall protection on construction sites

2min
pages 84-85

Cordless machines and safer technologies will save lives

11min
pages 94-98

Safety focus on crane service standards

4min
pages 92-93

Unlearning misguided muscle training keeps you pain free at home and work

6min
pages 90-91

Tips and myths around dogs

2min
pages 88-89

Bastion NZ launch Industrial glove range

1min
pages 86-87

What is workplace harassment and how to prevent it

2min
pages 82-83

Scholarships supporting tomorrow’s health and safety leaders

1min
pages 80-81

No better investment than chemical safety training

3min
page 73

Thermal recycling - part of the solution not part of the problem

11min
pages 56-59

AC Filter - an engineered solution protecting worker health

1min
page 67

Wood waste to take aluminium's place in food packaging

1min
page 60

Winning the last mile in the supply chain race

2min
page 61

Bold action needed to stop water infrastructure’s downward spiral

15min
pages 62-66

Can a vaccine for cattle help the dairy sector cut methane emissions?

6min
pages 52-53

How to become a successful green business

5min
pages 54-55

The consequences of banning oil and gas exploration

4min
pages 50-51

Is hydrogen the future of energy?

4min
pages 48-49

Schneider: data centres and smart homes

6min
pages 45-47

Further mortgage restrictions coming as house price growth continues

7min
pages 30-36

Climate change kicks into gear

3min
page 37

The three paths to net-zero

5min
pages 42-44

Is this the turning point of New Zealand’s property market?

6min
pages 28-29

Property investor confidence hits record highs

12min
pages 24-27

Facilities management with personal service

1min
pages 10-11

China builds 10-storey tower in a day

1min
page 3

Kiwi innovation leading the way in concrete slab insulation

2min
page 23

Will the reformed RMA actually help deliver more housing?

5min
pages 16-18

Residential construction reforms save time and improve quality control

10min
pages 12-15

Preventing collapsing structures

2min
page 22

Australia to slash planning times by 25 percent

1min
page 19

Are we forgetting national self-sufficiency?

6min
pages 4-9
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