✅ 3.2.5.4 RESOURCE SECURITY - Energy Security Flashcards
What is the UK’s energy mix?
43% fossil fuels (1% of this is coal, 42% is gas)
35% renewable (mostly wind)
9% nuclear
Imports from France 8%
Why has coal been phased out
privatisation under Thatcher caused coal mines to shut down
Thatcher thought it was easier and cheaper to import instead
Before, 98% of UK’s energy was from coal
What is a primary energy source?
Energy sources in raw form such as coal, oil, natural gas. They are used to produce secondary energy.
What is a secondary energy source?
Manufactured sources of energy power such as electricity, petroleum or diesel
How much more oil do HICs use than LICs
14 barrels of oil for every 3 barrels LICs use
Traditional energy sources
Fossil fuels
Wood
Nuclear
Solar
Wind
Geothermal
HEP
Tidal
Wave
New and Future energy sources
Tar Sands
Shale Gas
Clean coal
Biofuels
LNG
Hydrogen
Fusion
Hydrogen energy Features
Efficient
However creates harmful pollutant, Nitrogen Oxide, although not greenhouse gases
Advantages of Nuclear Energy
-highly energy efficient fuel
-relatively large reserves of uranium
-atmospheric pollution is much less than with fossil fuels
Disadvantages of nuclear energy:
-high investment and cost, not accessible to LICs
-public concerns, like from Chernobyl
-difficulty in finding suitable suits, people don’t want to be near one
-plutonium can be used in nuclear weapons - so can cause geo-political tensions
Nuclear Fusion Features
Reactors won’t melt down like in Chernobyl
Expensive
First fusion reactor expected in 2040
Liquid Nitrogen Gas (LNG) Features
Liquefied natural gas
Extracted for shale, is damaging to environments
52 years left of known natural gas reserves
Biofuels Features
fuels made from organic materials
Up to 90% efficient
Demand increased 15% from 2019 to 2021
Shale gas Features
Pumping water into sedimentary rocks to cause them to crack and release gas and oil
Globally, known reserves will be used up by 2060
25% of USA’s heating
The fracking damages environments
Tar Sands Features
bituminous sands, petroleum deposits
Largest reserve in Alberta, Canada
Used in road construction
Dirty fossil fuel
Not very efficient and releases 3x emission of crude oil
Clean coal Features
Cleaning uses water
Contributed to 30% of energy demand
Scrubbing (cleaning) creates 40% less emissions
France energy mix
42% nuclear
No fossil fuels
Energy independent, exporting
Decreased co2 emissions 20% since 2020
China energy mix
Very fossil fuel heavy
60% from coal
As its very industrial
imports a lot due to high demand, fossil fuels are cheapest to import
Ethiopia Energy mix
88% biofuels - its what it has access to
3% HEP - Dams on Blue Nile
Factors affecting energy consumption
Population, demand
Technology use - largely Quaternary job countries use less, less industrial use - energy used fell 0.8% in Europe 2010-13, while in Asia it rose 10%
Industrial countries have highest per capita of energy usage
Factors affecting energy supply
International supply, e.g OPEC slowing sales to keep price high
Economic viability of resources
Location, geography
Political instability - sanctions, e.g on Russia
World’s energy consumption by sector
EU energy consumption by sector
Coal formation
Plant debris in swamp conditions that gets compressed over millions of years (‘coalification’) into a sedimentary rock, coal. Carbon content increases. More carbon, better quality.
Often in tropical climates.
4 types of coal based on carbon content
Anthracite - best quality, used in domestic heating - 86% to 98% carbon
Bituminous - 70% to 86% carbon - used in furnaces
Sub-bituminous - 70% to 76% - industrial boilers
Lignite - 65% to 70% - lowest grade used typically - industrial boilers
Top 3 coal producers
China
USA
Australia
Top 3 coal consumers
China
USA
Japan
Oil and Natural Gas formation
Hydrocarbons of organic origin: organic matter sinks to sea bed when it dies, becomes fossilised over millions of years into sedimentary rocks such as shale. Under pressure and heat becomes oil, even more it becomes gas.
Pressure rises, squeezing these upwards. Sometimes they can get trapped beneath impermeable rock creating reservoirs.
Fracking has been used to extract oil which has struggled to rise, making previously ‘possible resources’ now accessible as ‘measured resources’