Electricity in New Caledonia in 2021
In New Caledonia, the total electricity consumed in 2021 predominantly relied on fossil fuels, making up over 85% of the total consumption. The contribution of low-carbon energy sources, which include hydro, solar, and wind, accounted for slightly less than 14%. Among them, hydropower made up almost half of the low-carbon energy, followed closely by solar energy, while wind energy contributed minimally. It's important to note that New Caledonia neither imports nor exports electricity from other countries or regions, reflecting complete reliance on local energy sources.
Suggestions
Looking into successful countries in producing low carbon electricity, New Caledonia can take some page from their book. For example, Denmark and Uruguay relied heavily on wind energy, accounting for over 50% and around 30% respectively. Considering the similarity in the geographical and coastal features, New Caledonia could also explore this clean energy source. Furthermore, nations such as France, Ukraine, and Slovakia have managed to generate more than half of their electricity from nuclear, showing the potential of this low-carbon source. However, the implementation of nuclear energy would require intensive feasibility studies taking into account New Caledonia's unique position as an Archipelagic territory.
History
In terms of the history of low-carbon electricity in New Caledonia, it has been predominantly from hydro sources. From the early 2000s till now, the evolution of hydropower generation exhibited minor fluctuations, with subtle increases and decreases over the years. Interestingly, solar power surfaces only towards the end of this two-decade-span. It began contributing in 2019 and maintained a steady production since then, indicating the emerging attention towards diversifying low-carbon sources. On the whole, the island's journey in clean power is marked by stability in hydro sources, with a recent pivot towards solar energy. Despite these shifts, the focus on low-carbon energy needs to intensify given the current dominance of fossil energy.