Story: Coal and coal mining

Markets for coal, 2004 (2nd of 2)

By 2004 the state-owned enterprise Solid Energy was producing almost 80% of New Zealand’s coal. These charts show where the coal was sold. The top chart shows sales domestically by economic sector. The Glenbrook steel plant and the Huntly power station together made up three-quarters of the local market. Dairy factories remained a significant buyer of coal. The bottom chart shows the major countries buying Solid Energy’s coal in 2004. Japan, India and South Africa were all importing New Zealand coal for steel making. The export market represented just over half of Solid Energy’s sales.

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Source: Solid Energy

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How to cite this page:

Alan Sherwood and Jock Phillips, 'Coal and coal mining - The late 20th and early 21st centuries', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/graph/9272/markets-for-coal-2004 (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Alan Sherwood and Jock Phillips, published 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 14 Apr 2021