Energy Security Flashcards
To learn content for energy security unit of contested planet
How much of the world’s energy do Non-renewables currently provide?
85%
Name 4 key players in the energy game
- Governments
- Energy TNCs (e.g BP)
- OPEC (Cartel)
- Consumers
How much oil does China Produce per day, compared to consumption?
- Produces 3 million barrels per day
- Consumes over 7 million barrels per day.
How has GDP grown in China since 1980?
It has doubled every 8 years.
How much of the world’s Primary energy needs does coal satisfy and does it make up such a large composition of the world’s Energy Mix?
23%
-Cheap and highly abundant
How can coal be made clean?
-Wet Particle scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators can help cut particulate emissions by 99.5%
What are the Negative impacts of the burning of Coal?
- produces 9 billion tonnes C02 per year
- 500 tonnes of particulates (causing respiratory problems)
What are the main benefits of Oil as a source of power?
- High energy density (little oil = lots energy)
- Easy to produce and refine
- Good infrastructure in place to support the industry and distribution
What are the main drawbacks to oil as a source of power?
- Threat that peak oil has/will be reached
- Over reliance on oil can be detrimental to energy security, as well as income (Nigeria, 90% exports)
- Threat of oil spill, damaging marine life (Bp, Deepwater Horizon 2010)
Why is natural gas important to the future of the world’s energy mix?
Will bridge energy supply gap until renewable sources of power are made commercially viable
What are the benefits of Nuclear energy?
- No GH gas emissions
- Uranium plentiful, so not as vulnerable to price fluctuations.
- Less stress on geopolitics
Name 2 disadvantages of Nuclear energy
- High construction and decommissioning costs
- Chance of nuclear meltdown
Give two benefits of wind power
- UK government estimated in 2010,wind power saved 6 billion tonnes Carbon dioxide emissions
- Economic benefit (10800 jobs manufacturing and installing turbines in UK)
What are the two main disadvantages of Wind power?
- Often suitable for remote locations, so expensive distribution
- Wind variations = unreliable.
What are the main reasons for rises in levels of global consumption?
- Population increase
- Emerging economies (industrialisation of RICS and NICs)
- Increased wealth worldwide and standard of living (BRICS)
What proportion of Oil supplies do OPEC own?
79%
What percentage of Gazprom is owned by the Russian state?
50%
To what extent do Gazprom control global gas supply?
- 1/3 world’s supply controlled
- Provides 25% EU gas
- world’s 3rd largest corporation
How many biogas stoves are estimated to be used in India and China?
5 million
Why was there dispute between Russia and the Ukraine, what were the consequences?
- In 2004, Pro Russia leader removed in Ukraine, replaced with Pro-western reforms.
- Russia 4x Gas price
- Ukraine refused to pay, so gas cut off in middle of winter.
- State owned governments important for geopolitics.
How many countries does BP produce oil in?
25, but operational in 80
What was the extent of the 2010 deep water horizon oil spill?
- 4.9 million barrels of oil into the gulf of Mexico
- 4600 animals killed
- $42.5 billion loss for BP
- $23 billion dollar estimated loss in tourism over 3 years
What makes Energy TNCs so important to the production and supply of energy?
They are vertically integrated, being involved in exploration, production, refining and transportation.
How many barrels of oil do BP produce per day?
3.8 million
Name one way how TNCs such as BP can be important to the supply of energy in the future.
Using financial power to diversify and invest in renewables. E.g BP invest over $1 billion per year in the development of biofuels, solar and wind.
Give an example of how OPEC have asserted their power on the world.
1973 Oil Crises -In protest to war, OPEC set an Oil embargo on the USA, Canada and UK (others) rising the price from $3-12 per barrel in the space of 6 months, triggering a recession.
How can National governments influence energy supply?
Influence in allocating or removing drilling and exploration licenses. E.g Drilling was banned after the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010
Why drill deep? (in the case of BP)
- 12% of all conventional oil reserves are Deepwater
- by 2035, production predicted 11% global output
- US imported 49% of oil at the time (66% from OPEC)
What is an energy pathway?
The flow of energy from producer to consumer
What are the names of the Major pipelines that connect Russia with the rest of the EU?
- Nord Stream
- South Stream
Name three social challenges to energy flow
- Piracy
- Terrorism
- NIMBY
Name three environmental challenges to energy flow
- Subsistence of pipes (in ice)
- Plate tectonics
- Disrupt migration patterns.
Name two political challenges to energy flow
- unstable producer
- geopolitical arguments (e.g Russia-Ukraine)
What is the Nabucco pipeline?
- The ‘new gas bridge’ between from Asia to Europe
- Connecting world’s richest gas regions (Caspian, Middle East, Egypt)
What will be the extent of the Nabucco pipeline and what economic benefits may it provide?
- 3300km long
- capacity of 31 bcm (billion cubic metres)
- could transport 1550 bcm to Europe over 50 years.
- create 7000 new jobs (more via multiplier)
Name an example of how terrorism has disrupted energy pathways
- Iraq 2003
- section of pipeline from Kirkuk blown up,
- Kirkuk produces 40% oil in Iraq
- Paul Bremer (Us Governor of Iraq) estimated costing $7 million/day
Name an example of how Piracy has disrupted energy flow.
- Hijacking of Sirius Star by Somalian Pirates
- Contained over 25% of Saudi Arabia daily oil exports
- Help lift global oil prices by over $1
How much of Ukraine gas comes from Russia?
70%, making up 30% total consumption of energy
Why were western European countries concerned by Ukraine-Russian dispute?
Ukraine a transit country from which gas is piped through central Europe to western Europe.
What is the reason for the latest fall in oil prices (Price shock)
- Oversupply
- In 2015, production outstripped supply by approximately 1.8 million barrels.
What factors have lead to the oversupply of oil?
- Uprisings of Arab springs (want to increase public spending to avoid further unrest by increasing oil revenues
- Weaker demand due to financial crisis.
- reached ‘peak demand’
China vs USA energy security
- Proximity: China closer proximity to oil hotspots (less expensive)
- Consumption: Disproportionate consumption much higher in US (20 million barrels per day vs 7 million)
- Domestic supply: China largest producer and consumer of coal so sufficient development, but mined in north and west cannot feed rapid development quickly enough (transportation) US in same position
- Investing in alternatives:HEP makes up 9% of US energy e.g Idaho however consumption slowed. In China building Dams (Three gorges dam)
What are the factors influencing energy security?
- Social (public opinion e.g nuclear)
- Economic (development, affordability)
- Environmental (difficulty to recover, potential for renewables, natural resources)
- political (geopolitical relations)
how may energy insecurity lead to conflict between and within countries?
-discovery of new energy source (e.g 90 billion barrels of oil in arctic, contested by Canada, Russia, Norway, Denmark and others
-Switching to new energy source (e.g UK government vs people over nuclear, where 78% disapprove of it.
-leads to extreme measures to secure supply (e.g US and Iraq)
-
Give a reason why imports in the UK for fossil fuels have increased
Declining resources of the North Sea oil
How has UK energy mix changed overtime?
- Increase in use of natural gas since north sea deposits found, less coal
- fossil fuels fallen from 98% 1965 to 80% in 2014 due to nuclear energy capacity improvements
- Overall consumption not risen much, due to decline in demand for secondary industries and improved production efficiency.
How much of the UKs energy mix do the DECC predict renewables will make up by 2030?
40%
How much of the UKs gas comes from Russia?
15%
What is the Copenhagen accord 2009?
- 115 world leaders
- limiting max average temp to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels
- Developed countries promised $30 billion to developing nations in reducing GH emissions.
- Like Kyoto, not legally binding.
factors affecting future energy uncertainty
- potential for discovery of new reserves (the Arctic)
- potential disruption to choke points (e.g Somalian Pirates)
- Geopolitical disputes
- controversial energies (nuclear)
How does the Emissions trading scheme work? (ETS)
- Cap on total emissions within the scheme is set
- Companies are given a certain number of permits
- For every tonne of carbon released, the company has to hand in one of its permits.
- These permits can be sold and bought, being an incentive to reduce emissions.
What is the extent of the EU ETS?
-covers 11,000 power stations in 30 different countries
What percentage of UK emissions are from domestic homes?
30%
What percentage of duel fuel bills (one energy provider) in 2013 was on Green tax?
8% £112
How will Hinkley Point be important to the UK?
- create 25,000 jobs
- produce 7% UK electricity
- lower energy bill by average £77 in 2030
How much will Hinkley point cost?
£18 billion
What is the world’s biggest offshore windfarm, and how much energy does it provide?
London Array
- 630MW of Power
- 175 Turbines
How much Shale Gas is there globally?
-200 trillion cubic metres.
How long could USA’s Shale reserves last?
100 years (example where technology can increase energy security)
Name 3 positive impacts of Fracking in the US
- 2010, 600,000 were employed in the Fracking Industry (unemployment fallen below 3% in Pennsylvania)
- Domestic energy prices much more affordable, reducing energy poverty.
- emits 50% less GH gases then coal
Name negative impacts of Fracking in the US
- 20-30% chemicals used in Fracking remain underground, some being carcinogenic
- Linked to collapse of coal industry (although Donald Trump wants to reopen them)
Why is the Tar sands industry reliant on high oil prices?
Costs of extraction and production are very high (need prices at $77 per barrel to make profit)
Benefits of Tar Sands to Canada
- Canadian energy research institute (CERI) predict could contribute $4 trillion to economy over 20 years
- 200,000 new jobs between 2015 and 2035 expected.
- Increase energy security.
What are some of the negative impacts of using Tar sands?
- high water consumption 3:1 ratio for Barrels of water to oil produced
- Unusual Cancer numbers
- Require high price of Oil to be financially viable
How many Barrels of oil are predicted to be under the ANWR?
-between 5-16 billion, about 18 months worth
What existing oilfield is between the ANWR and WAR?
Prudhoe Bay Oilfield.
What are the benefits of exploiting oil reserves in the ANWR?
- up to 735,000 jobs created
- Increased energy security for US
- estimated site would be 64% smaller than Prudhoe Bay, thanks to new technology
What are the Costs of exploiting oil reserves in the ANWR?
- 40,000 cubic metres of oily waste produced
- Only 18 months worth of supply.
- Potential for spill (e.g Exxon Valdez 1989, 4 million barrels)
Give an example of a recyclable energy source
CHP (Combined heat and Power)
What is CHP?
- captures waste heat from electricity production, making them as high as 95% efficient
- reduce emissions by 30%
- reduce energy bills by 20%