✅ 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’
Top 3 oil producers
Russia
Saudi
USA
Top 3 oil consumers
USA
China
Japan
Top 3 natural gas producers
USA
Russia
Iran
Top 3 natural gas consumers
Germany
USA
Mexico
Geography affecting solar energy
Requires sun so can be variable in supply - greatest in tropical areas with most sunlight
Geography affecting wind energy
Typically needs winds of 5.5 m/s or above to be economically viable
Requires lots of land as wind turbines cannot be too close together
UK has best wind energy potential in Europe due to uninterrupted winds from the Atlantic
Geography affecting HEP
More discharge and greater height the water falls means more energy produced
Drainage basins should be impermeable to lose least amount of water
Impact of fossil fuels diminishing: on Europe
European dependence on middle east oil will remain significant. Imports 90% of its oil, couldn’t run without it, however are attempting to decrease oil use.
Impact of fossil fuels diminishing: on Asia
Asian dependency for Gulf Oil (oil company) will increase. As they have few other alternatives, Gulf oil may rise the prices
Impact of fossil fuels diminishing: on China
China will start to develop oil reserves in Africa to cope with its high demand. China has signed contracts with many African countries which gives them control of any oil discovered in them.
Impact of fossil fuels diminishing: on USA
Will continue to import but will also develop their own reserves.
Impact of fossil fuels diminishing: on Natural Gas
Natural gas will grow.
Consumption projected to grow 1.9% a year.
More spending on natural gas infrastructure: pipeline in Middle-East and Africa projected to cost $10.8 billion.
Impact of fossil fuels diminishing: on Russia
Russia will want to expand exports of oil and gas to China, Japan and Europe
Impact of fossil fuels diminishing: on renewable energy
renewable energy usage will increase
How many of the top TNCs in 2018 were oil companies? How many today?
8 in 2018
1 today
What 3 stages can oil companies categorise their operations into?
Upstream- exploration and drilling
Midstream- transportation by pipeline or tanker
Downstream- refining of crude oil into products for sale
What are oil TNCs doing to prepare for shift to renewable energy?
Investing into renewable energy development.
Shell does this, with ambitions to develop supply of electrical energy.
How many countries does Shell operate in?
70
Mainly production out of SE Asia and Nigeria
How many barrels of oil does Shell produce per day?
3.7 million
How does Shell gain exploration rights and develop infrastructure in other countries?
Joint ventures with other companies (such as Petronas, a Malaysia state company)
What is done in Alberta, Canada
Using thermal ‘in-situ’ methods to extract bitumen in tar sands
how many barrels are estimated to be extracted from the reserves of bitumen in Alberta?
175 billion barrels
Alberta environment
14.000 km² of boreal forest
Why has tar sand development started in Alberta
Due to advances in extraction technology and oil price rises
Where does most of Alberta’s tar sand oil go to?
USA
Provides 7% of its daily consumption
What is unique about the tar sand mines in Alberta?
It is arguably the largest and most destructive industrial project in human history
Environmental impacts of extraction in Alberta
Large areas of boreal forest felled for open-pit mining and wetlands drained, as each pit covers 150 km²
Although in-situ bitumen extraction (underground) covers less surface area and leaves more sand in the ground than open-pit, it generates more greenhouse gas emissions
Pollutants from extraction, such as carbon monoxide contribute to acid rain.
Is there more open-pit or in-situ in Alberta
More open-pit, however, 80% of the available oil is below 75 metres deep so will need in-stu extraction to extract eventually
How much a material is removed to produce one barrel of bitumen oil in Alberta
4 tonnes
Environmental impacts on climate change in Alberta
Mining and upgrading of tar sands produces 3x more co2 than conventional oil production.
This causes warming, which on a local scale melts the Athabasca Glacier in Alberta
How much forest is expected to be cleared from tar sand mining?
5000 km²
Loss of much wildlife
How much water is used in Alberta’s oil production
For each barrel of oil, five barrels of water are used
In extraction, separation, upgrading.
How much tailing is created in Alberta’s oil production
For each barrel of oil, six barrels of tailings are made
These are a mix of water, sand and chemicals such as acids which make the water it pollutes dangerous.
It is stored in ‘tailing ponds’ which are around 100 km² each
Strategies to increase energy supply:
Oil and gas exploration
Searching for alternatives like through fracking or finding more reserves
For example, 2019 a large scale gas production operation started off the coast of Aberdeenshire despite the fact most North Sea gas was extracted
Strategies to increase energy supply:
Nuclear energy
Becoming alternatives to fossil fuels due to its low emissions, efficiency and stability
Provides 20% of UK’s electricity
Strategies to increase energy supply:
Renewable energy
UK committed to net zero by 2050
Major wind energy user
Strategies to manage energy consumption: Domestic management
In the EU an energy performance certificate (EPC) is issued to all buildings when they are constructed, grading it’s energy efficiency. This will encourage homeowners to improve their rating when selling property by managing energy consumption by using efficient appliances and heat insulation walls for example
Strategies to manage energy consumption: in businesses
The Energy Savings Trust provides free energy audits to smaller businesses
Combined Heat and Power systems can be used to capture usable heat produced in the generation of electricity
Strategies to manage energy consumption: transport
Electric cars
Campaigns to use public transport
Sustainability issues in energy: Acid Rain
from pollution
Lots in SE Asia due to Chinese pollution
Kills wildlife
Can be reduced by using catalytic converters on cars to limit pollution, using cleaner sources of energy
Sustainability issues in energy: Enhanced Greenhouse effect
Fossil fuels create a warmer atmosphere
Damages environments
CO2 emissions continue to rise 2-3% a year
Shift to renewables must be made to stop it
Sustainability issues in energy: Nuclear Waste Management
Concerns over contamination
Must be buried 200-1000 km deep, although this is expensive
