LPG imports grow to meet demand

4 February 2026

Imports of LPG into New Zealand in 2025 ramped up close to 30 percent from the previous year.

In the year to September 2025, 2.15 PJ were imported compared to 1.69 PJ in the same period the year before.

Over the last decade there has been a massive 13-fold increase in LPG imports – 2015 being the last year that New Zealand was virtually self-sufficient in LPG production.

With slightly over six PJ of domestic LPG production in the year to September 2025, imports made up 28 percent of the total LPG consumed (7.72 PJ), up from 19 percent in the previous year.

This significant, almost seamless expansion of LPG imports in the last decade well demonstrates that plenty of LPG is readily available internationally to meet New Zealand’s needs, Mo Ehsan, National Sales Manager for Linde/Elgas says.

Thanks to robust import terminal infrastructure and logistics, New Zealand has been able to scale up LPG imports quickly and reliably, he says.

“Back when our natural gas production was booming, we even exported LPG. Now that local production’s dipped, it’s great to see imports stepping up without a hitch.

“With over 300,000 LPG customers across the country, there’s no risk of running short.”