Lesson 10 and 11: Energy Players and Pathways Flashcards
Define energy pathways
Describes the flow of energy between the producer and consumer; and how it reaches the consumer e.g. pipeline, transmission line, ships, rail etc.
What are the objectives of energy players?
1) energy security - supply must meet demands
2) energy equity - must be accessible and affordable for all countries
3) environmental sustainability
What is biofuel?
Fuel derived from living/organic matter e.g. agricultural crops, forestry, bio waste
Define a primary biofuel
Fuelwood, wood chips, pellets and other organic material used in the unprocessed form, primarily for heating, cooking or electricity generation
Define secondary biofuel
Derived from the processing of biomass and includes liquid biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, which can be used by vehicles and in industrial processes
How many tons of CO2 emissions has Brazil reduced by from using biofuels since 2003?
350 million tons
What are some negatives of biofuel?
Takes land from food production
Need pesticides and fertilisers which use fossil fuel in production
Require large volumes of water
Loss of a carbon sink and emissions from deforestation
What % higher than savings from biofuels are there in Brazil?
35-60%
What % more can some biofuels produce than coal?
150-400% more CO2
What is OPEC?
12 member countries
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Control much of oil and gas in the global market and the prices
What fraction of the world’s oil reserves do OPEC hold?
2/3
What is the role of energy companies?
Convert primary energy into electricity and distribute
Considerable influence when setting consumer prices and tariffs
What % of the top 20 oil companies are state-owned?
50%
What are some examples of energy TNCs
Gazprom, BP and Total
What is the role of TNCs in energy?
Range of operations such as exploring, extracting, transporting refining and producing petrochemicals
What is the role of consumers?
Create the demand
Purchasing choices based on prices
Passive players when it comes to fixing energy prices
What are the most influential consumers?
Transport, industry and domestic users
What are the role of governments?
Influence sourcing of energy for geopolitical reasons
Meet international obligations and secure energy supplies for present and future
Regulate the role of private companies and environmental priorities
What is the USA’s biofuel production?
15.5 billion litres
What is Brazil’s biofuel production?
11.4 billion litres
What is Europe’s biofuel production?
4.5 billion litres
How much has energy demand increased by since the 1990s?
50%
What % do fossil fuels make up global energy mix?
84%
Which country doubled its oil consumption between 2000-2010?
China
By what year will China be the world’s largest energy importer?
2035
Define mismatch
Disparity between where fossil fuels are located and where the demand for them is greatest
What do gas pathways rely on?
Depend on multilateral and bilateral agreements
What is the major gas company for Europe?
Gazprom from Russia
What % of the world’s oil is moved by tankers on fixed shipping routes?
50%
What are choke points?
Narrow sea channels or a convergence of transport routes
What is an example of a oil route with a choke point?
Suez Canal
How wide is the Suez canal?
205m wide
How many barrels of oil are transported through the Suez canal every day?
1 million barrels
What % of global trade is transported through the Suez canal every day?
12%
What container ship blocked the Suez Canal? When?
Evergreen ship
March 2021
How many ships were delayed due to the blockage?
450 ships
How much trade was lost each day?
$9.6bn a day
Give an example of how geopolitical factors can disrupt energy pathways
Syrian conflict with Russia, and USA’s battle for control in Syria
Desire to control a pipeline which would travel through Syria, particularly desired by Russia
Give an example of how militant action can disrupt energy pathways
December 2015 the International Marine Bureau reported piracy attacks in the Straits of Malacca
How many piracy attacks along of the Straits of Malacca between 2009-15?
500
Give an example of how weather can disrupt energy pathways
Storm in winter 2013 in UK - gas reserves fell to 6 hours as the storm damaged import pipelines
Give an example of how political tensions and disagreements can disrupt energy pathways
3 out of 4 of Russia’s pipelines cross Ukraine to get to Europe
Conflict between them threatens energy security of Europe increasing prices
What fraction of equity shares does ExxonMobil have in carbon capture and storage?
1/5
