ENV2D06: Non Renewable Resources

1
ENV-2D06 Non Renewable Resources 2004
1. Introduction
Keith Tovey Energy Science Director CRed Project
2
Introduction

• This part of course explores the use of Fossil
  Fuels and their impacts.
• It explores
• the environmental impacts of using fossil fuels
• new methods for using fossil fuel more
  effectively
• The assignment
• explores the impact of electricity generation on
  greenhouse gas and related emissions.
• UK electricity generation is dominated by fossil
  fuels and this wil remain the case until 2040,
  even with the most optimistic renewable
  scenarios.
• It involves group work, and the aim is to
  explore how far the UK can achieve the declared
  targets for greenhouse gas reductions.
• If you work effectively as a group, then
  you should be able to complete the majority of
  the work for the assignment within the formal
  practical periods.

3
Introduction

• Using Fossil Fuels (and Nuclear)
• involves the release of emissions such as SO2,
  NOx, and numerous other gases, radioactivity.
• large quantities of carbon dioxide are released.
  
• In the UK, some 180 million tonnes are released
  from the electricity power sector out of a total
  UK emission of around 550 560 million tonnes.
• Carbon Dioxide is the major contributor to global
  warming.
• RCEP 60 cut by 2050,
• reinforced in the 2003 White Paper on Energy,
• no indications as to how this reduction might be
  achieved.
• UK has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by around
  50 Mtonnes since 1990 (or about 8)
• savings mainly in the power generation sector
• the Dash for Gas

4
Introduction

• Some Landmark Dates
• 1990 - base year against which measurements are
  made
• 1997 - RCEP recommends 60 reduction
• 1997 - Kyoto
• 2000 (17th November) Hague Climate Conference -
  UK Government commits itself to a 23 reduction
  below 1990 levels by 2010.

• - 2004 (19th January) UK announces Emissions
  Trading

various WEB pages see www2.env.uea.ac.uk/g
mmc/energy/enpoint.htm This Page and the Course
Home Page which is under development can be
accessed directly from the Energy Course Home
Page. www2.env.uea.ac.uk/gmmc
/env/energy.htm
5
Introduction

• 1. INTRODUCTION
• Energy Resources for Non-Energy Use
• Energy Resources for Energy Use
• 1.1. DEFINITIONS-
• 1.1.1. RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES
• Solar Flux is 1000 times energy requirements of
  earth
• Are Fossil Fuels - renewable?
• What about Wood, Geothermal, Peat?
• DISTINCTION BETWEEN RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE
  IN ENERGY RESOURCES IS SOME WHAT VAGUE
• RARELY IS THERE A CLEAR DEFINITION OF EXACTLY
  WHAT IS MEANT BY RENEWABLE ENERGY?

6
Introduction

• RENEWABLE
• Is Hydro renewable?
• - i.e. over what time scale is resource
  replenished?
• YEARS ?
• DECADES ?
• CENTURIES ?
• MILLENNIA ?
• MONTHS ?
• DAYS ?
• HOURS ?
• ??????

7
1.1.2 Renewability

• TRUE RENEWABILITY ARISES IF AND ONLY IF THE RATE
  OF SUPPLY AND RATE OF USE OF ENERGY MATCH.
• RARELY IS THIS THE CASE.
• DEMAND FOR ENERGY VARIES ON A MINUTE BY MINUTE
  BASIS.
• It is affected by-
• SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS
• CLIMATE VARIATIONS
• Perhaps a better word is SUSTAINABLE
• i.e. An Energy Resource is SUSTAINABLE if the
  magnitude of the Resource is maintained over a
  period of time greater than 1 year (or decade)

8
1.1.3. ENERGY STORAGE

• ENERGY STORAGE IS NECESSARY IN THE EXPLOITATION
  OF ENERGY RESOURCES-
• because the RESOURCE is not available at a rate
  which CAN BE CONTROLLED in response to demand.
• e.g. most of the "so- called"
  RENEWABLES.
• because it is not ECONOMIC to build ENERGY
  CONVERTERS to cope solely with PEAK DEMAND.
• (It may also be ENVIRONMENTALLY undesirable to
  build large numbers of CONVERTERS which are
  standing idle most of the time).
• ALL FORMS OF ENERGY RESOURCE are affected by
  this.
• HOWEVER, the FOSSIL FUELS have the advantage in
  that they can be readily stored at points of use
  to optimise extraction and distribution costs
  (e.g. Coal Stocks, Liquid Gas Storage at
  Partington, Oil Tank Farms).

9
1.1.3. Calorific Value

• CALORIFIC VALUE -
• Energy Content of a Fossil Fuel per unit mass or
  unit volume.
• Represents maximum amount of energy that can be
  extracted from a unit of the fuel.
• Two Calorific Values
• Lower Calorific Value (LCV)
• products of combustion emitted as
  water vapour
• Higher Calorific Value (HCV)
• products of combustion emitted as
  water

10
1.2. Units

• TWO BASIC UNITS-
• a) the JOULE (a measure of quantity)
• b) the WATT (a RATE of acquiring/ converting/ or
  using ENERGY).
• 1.2.1. QUANTITY OF ENERGY
• The basic SI unit of Energy is the JOULE, and all
  other quantities should be converted to Joules.
• However, a unit in common use is the
  kilowatt-hour (kWh).
• Please Note that
• IT IS NOT KILOWATTS PER HOUR
• A 1 kg lump of coal, or a litre of oil will have
  an equivalent Energy Content measured in Joules
  (J).
• Thus 1 kg of UK coal is equivalent to 24 x
  106 J or 24 MJ.
• or 1 litre of oil is equivalent to
  42 x 106 J or 42 MJ.

11
1.2. Units

• 1.2.1. QUANTITY OF ENERGY - Other Units
• JOULE (J).
• calorie (cal)
• erg
• Kalorie (or kilogram calorie Kcal or Kal)
• British Thermal Unit (BTU)
• Therm
• kilowatt-hour (kWh)
• Horsepower-hour
• million tonnes of coal equivalent (mtce)
• million tonnes of oil equivalent (mtoe) (or
  - mtep - in International Literature).
• litres of oil
• gallons (both Imperial and US) of oil
• barrels of oil
• million tonnes of peat equivalent

12
1.3 Environmental Effects of Fossil Fuel use.

• All energy forms have environmental impacts
• construction
• operation
• Gaseous emissions from energy use
• gtgt are significant impacts on
• Global Warming,
• Acid Rain,
• Ozone depletion.
• Several other gases are of significance for
  Fossil Fuels
• CO2 - around 550 Mtonnes are emitted by the UK
  each year (cf 600 Mt in 1990)
• SO2 - (acid rain but reduces the effects of
  global warming by CO2 ).
• Nitrous Oxide and higher oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)
• Methane (leakage from gas supply) - much more
  potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas
• Carbon monoxide
• Non-methane hydro-carbons
• Radon (a radioactive gas)

13
1.3 Environmental Effects of Fossil Fuel use.

• Are significant reductions possible?
• How might they be achieved?
• Big question is are any of these reductions
  achievable in reality or are politicians talking
  a load of hot air?
• Are any countries emitting less CO 2 in 2000
  than in 1990? Are they likely to be able to
  continue reducing emissions?.
• Are emissions likely to rise in future and if so
  why?
• Most of the reducing methods, though significant
  are usually more than swamped by increasing
  demand. It would take a sustained ten fold
  increase in renewable exploitation in UK just to
  deal with increases in demand.

14
1.3 Environmental Effects of Fossil Fuel use.

• Rising emissions
• Increasing population
• Reduction in household size
• Increased dwelling sizes
• Increased mobility (particularly leisure
  mobility)
• Closing nuclear power stations
• Increased use of appliances
• Improved living standards both in UK and
  worldwide
• Switching from gas to coal as gas reserves dwindle

• Reducing emissions
• Switching from fossil fuels to nuclear and
  renewables
• Switching from fossil fuels to nuclear and
  renewables
• Energy conservation in buildings (e.g. loft
  insulation)
• Switching to more efficient energy converters
• e.g. low-energy light bulbs, condensing boilers
• Implementation of CHP
• Using Heat Pumps to replace traditional heating
  appliances
• Increases in renewable technologies
• Technical Improvements (e.g. IGCC)
• CHANGING ATTITUDES

15
The Assignment

• Four Sessions - three parts
• Part 1 - Session 1
• Assess future electricity demand
• Part 2 - Session 2
• examine historical emissions
• model emissions for future
• the gas scenario
• the coal scenario
• the nuclear scenario
• Part 3 - Session 3
• examine constraints for the future
• carbon dioxide levels
• gas consumption
• diversity