What are primary energy sources?
Sources of energy usually found in nature that has not undergone a conversion process
Eg. Oil, coal, gas -> raw material
What are secondary energy sources?
Sources of energy that have come from a conversion process to generate a second form of energy
Eg. electricity, petroleum products, diesel fuel
What are components of energy demand?
- Domestic energy
- Manufacturing and service industry
- Agriculture
- Transport
Describe the UK’s energy mix
- 34% wind
- 28% gas
- 42% renewables
- 28% fossil fuels -> entirely gas
Describe Nigeria’s energy mix
- 74% biomass -> burning of firewood for domestic purposes
- 13% oil -> Niger Delta
- 12% natural gas
- 1% hydro
How much of growth in energy demand up till 2035 will NEEs account for?
90%
How does climate affect the supply of energy?
- Solar -> 20% of Spain’s electricity comes from solar, one of the highest proportions in the world
- Wind strength/speed -> UK Westerlies mean that average offshore winds are 9m/s
- Precipitation -> HEP -> Dinorwig HEP in an area that receives 50% more rainfall than global average
- Biomass growth -> tropical climate encourages growth -> 70% of Brazil’s renewable energy is biomass
How does geology affect the supply of energy?
- Rock structure -> coal seams form from fossilised and buried ancient swamp forests, oil and natural gas form when decomposed marine organisms are trapped between layers of impermeable rock
- Crustal structure -> 90% of homes in Iceland are heated using geothermal due to thin crust
- Tectonic plate structure -> risky, 2011 Tohoku
How does drainage affect the supply of energy?
- Cooling -> Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station is next to the North Sea and abstracts 4 million m^3 of water each day
- HEP -> GERD is 145m tall, allowing a larger head (the height the water will fall)
What percentage of crude oil exports does OPEC control?
50%
By how much did the Russia-Ukraine War cause UK household energy bills to rise?
75%
By how much has the 3rd Gulf War caused crude oil prices to rise?
50%
Outline the Alberta Tar Sands
- Largest oil reserves on the planet outside Saudi Arabia
- Vast reserves of bitumen (unconventional crude oil) trapped beneath the boreal forest and wetlands of northern Alberta (Canada)
What are the environmental impacts of the Alberta Tar Sands Mining?
- Surface mining has disturbed 895km^2 of land
- Tailings ponds store liquid and solid waste created by mining operations -> Syncrude dumps 250,000 tonnes of toxic waste in one of their tailing ponds every day
- Toxins being found in the food chain by the 800 aboriginals living in Fort Chipewyn downstream of the Athabasca River -> cancer rates 10x higher than rest of Canada
- Each tailing pond emits around 1500 tonnes of methane (GHG)
What are the benefits of Alberta Tar Sands Mining?
- Supports around 400,000 jobs (direct and indirect)
- Oil sands make up around 5% of Canada’s GDP and is worth trillions in potential revenue
- Alberta Tar Sands oil accounts for around 40% of US crude oil imports
