p4 Flashcards
energy mix of a country
the proportion of each primary energy resource it uses per year. These resources may be domestic or imported.
What resources is an energy mix made up of?
Non-renewable
(finite):
Renewable:
Recyclable:
Non-renewable
(finite):
E.g. coal, oil and gas. Exploitation and use of these stocks will lead to their exhaustion.
Renewable:
E.g. solar, wind and wave power.
These are continuous flows of nature and can be constantly re-used.
Recyclable:
E.g. reprocessed uranium and plutonium from nuclear power plants and heat recovery systems
several things which can determine the energy mix of a country……. 7
Availability of primary energy resources within the country as well as their access to technology to extract the resources.
The accessibility of primary energy resources from outside the country.
The energy needs of the country, based on economic development, lifestyle and climate.
Changing energy consumption patterns, linked to population and economic growth.
National and regional policies that affect energy production and consumption e.g. climate change.
Cultural and historical legacies and geopolitical links.
Financial costs of each energy option.
The energy needs of the country, based on economic development, lifestyle and climate.
US – consumerist lifestyle meaning higher demand. Plus hot/cold climate meaning air conditioning and heating required
The accessibility of primary energy resources from outside the country.
Europe – Russia exports 80% of it’s natural gas to Europe.
Availability of primary energy resources within the country as well as their access to technology to extract the resources.
iceland – Domestic geothermal energy
National and regional policies that affect energy production and consumption e.g. climate change.
UK – National policies to reduce emissions and invest in renewables
Financial costs of each energy option.
Countries with little capital e.g. India, consume the cheapest resources, which is currently fossil fuels
Changing energy consumption patterns, linked to population and economic growth.
India – population of 1.2 billion meaning high demand
Cultural and historical legacies and geopolitical links.
India – struck a deal with Canada for it to provide India with 3.2 million kilos of uranium.
there are two types of energy:
Primary
Secondary energy
Primary
natural energy resources that have not been converted into another form of energy e.g. coal, oil, gas. (Consumed in their raw form)
Secondary energy
refers to what the primary source has been converted into, usually electricity.
UK’s Energy Mix in 2019
Coal and oil - Less than 1% combined
Natural Gas - 38%
Wind - 20%
Biomass - 12%
Solar - 6%
Nuclear - 19%
Domestic vs Overseas Sources
Despite economic and population growth in the UK, the adoption of energy-saving technologies (e.g. home heating and vehicle engines) resulted in the UK consuming less energy in 2015 than in 1998 with more of that energy coming from renewables.
However, the UK now imports more energy than it produces domestically (i.e. from it’s own reserves) due to a decline in the North Sea oil and gas reserves.
This means that the UK has an energy deficit and is energy insecure.
Energy Security:
being able to access reliable and affordable energy sources – either domestic or from ‘friendly’, overseas countries
Ukraine Conflict
Europe is dependent on Russian gas for about 40% of its supply. Countries such as Germany are particularly vulnerable (50% - shut down other resources).
Other eastern European countries rely solely on Russian gas – Moldova and North Macedonia for example. Finland and Latvia rely on it for over 90% of their energy.
The UK takes 50% of it’s gas supply from domestic resources and the other half mostly from Norway.
There are no gas pipelines directly linking the UK with Russia and imports from Russia made up less than 4% of total UK gas supply in 2021.
It’s the aim of Europe to wean itself off Russian gas to make it less of a weapon during conflict.
Russia’s economy relies heavily on fossil fuel exports, so it needs to consider the consequences of this, if it decides to threaten the removal of the supply to Europe.
Domestic Energy
Energy extracted and used within the same country
Recyclable energy
A resource that is reused or reprocessed
