New Caledonia energy mix & electricity

Power plants in New Caledonia produced 3.1 TWh of electricity in 2024. That puts it in the same league as Réunion. The biggest single contributor is coal with 36.5%; oil adds 36.5% and hydropower 17.3%.

Renewables supplied 26.9% of the electricity, which ranks New Caledonia 92nd of 158 countries. That is 7 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for Oceania (41.4%). Each kilowatt-hour emitted on average 561 g CO₂e, against a world average of 458 g. The grid is more carbon-intensive than the world average. In the cleanest-grid ranking, New Caledonia is 114th of 158.

Since 2014, the fastest-growing source has been coal: its output rose by 370 GWh, lifting its share by 11 percentage points. The biggest decline came from oil (−750 GWh). The net effect: renewables gained 15.3 percentage points of share since 2014. Total generation grew by 110 GWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 635 to 561 g/kWh, a 12% cut.

Unusually, coal is gaining ground: its share is up 11 percentage points since 2014, now at 36.5%. In absolute terms, coal generation peaked in 2020 at 1.5 TWh and has since fallen 25%.

Solar (8.3%) and wind (1.3%) now add up to 9.6% of generation; the global figure is 17.3%. Per person, that is 888 kWh of solar electricity a year, 2.6× the global average. In solar electricity per person, New Caledonia ranks 17th in the world. Wind adds 137 kWh per person. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2018.

Generation per person is 10,661 kWh a year, 2.8× the world average of 3,860 kWh. New Caledonia does not trade electricity with other countries: the grid is not interconnected with any neighbour.