ENERGY RESOURCESChapter 17 & 18

Evaluating Energy Resources

Where does our energy come from?

84% of our energy comes from nonrenewable energy resources

78% from fossils fuels 6% nuclear power And only 16% from renewable energy!!

Nonrenewable Energy Resources

Comparison between Canada, the US, and the world with the use of nonrenewable energy sources.

Why is the Energy Future of the United States Important to Canada?

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Limited.

US industrial giant and military superpower US industrial giant and military superpower

Canada’s largest trading partner Canada’s largest trading partner

US world’s largest energy user US world’s largest energy user

US out of step with rest of world US out of step with rest of world

Shift in US energy use would impact Canada Shift in US energy use would impact Canada

Net Energy

Net energy is the usable amount of high-quality energy available from a given quantity of a resource.

Essentially, it is our spendable income – after taxes, job-related dues, health insurance, etc. we are left with a certain amount of money which we then use!

Example: Nuclear Energy

Nuclear fuel cycle that involves the extraction and processing of uranium ore, creation of nuclear fuel, the building of plants, the dismantling of plants, and the storing of radioactive material produces a very small net energy gain – maybe even a loss! To make nuclear energy more efficient we

need new ways of extraction that use less energy.

Evaluating Alternative Resources

Policies developed with future in mind

Policies developed with future in mind

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Limited.

Takes 50 years and huge investments to phase in alternative energy

Takes 50 years and huge investments to phase in alternative energy

Each country needs to answer several questions

Each country needs to answer several questions

OIL

Oil (petroleum) is a thick and gooey liquid consisting of hundreds of combustible hydrocarbons along with small amounts of sulphur, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Oil is on our planet because of three events: Sediments buried dead material on seafloor faster

than it could decay The depth and pressure allowed it to cook

converting the organic material to oil Oil was then trapped in limestone/sandstone

covered by shale or silt making it part of the carbon cycle.

Finding the Oil A lot of technology!

Satellites to help find deposits

Computers/software to look at 3D internal images

Equipment for drilling Not to mention the

equipment used in the discovery, production, marketing, and distribution of oil to billions of people.

What happens to the Environment?

After drilling occurs the transportation of the oil can cause major environmental disasters. Oil spills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OVNd6Fa9fg

Who owns all the Oil? OPEC – Organization of the Petroleum Exporting

Countries 12 countries hold 60% of the world’s oil supply Saudi Arabia has 22% Canada does not belong to this organization but we have

14% of the world’s oil reserves. Analysts believe that the Middle East will eventually have

50% of the oil production; this is why the world’s nations have a vital economic and military security interests in helping preserve political stability in the Middle East.

What are the Advantages of Oil?

Ample supply for 42-93 years Low cost (huge subsidies) High net energy yield Easily transported from place to place Low land use Technology is all ready there Efficient distribution

What are the disadvantages of Oil?

Need to find a substitute when it has run out

Low price causes waste and discourages looking for other sources

Air pollution when burned Releases CO2 Moderate water pollution

Oil sands

Oil sands are a mix of clay, sand, water, and combustible organic material called bitumen – a very thick and heavy oil with a high sulphur content.

Oil sands are excavated near the surface and transported to refinery where the mixture is boiled and ‘cooked’ with hot water and steam to extract a lower sulphur content of crude oil.

The reality…

For this process to occur, two tons of oil sands are needed to create one barrel of oil.

On top of that three barrels of water are needed to extra each barrel of the bitumen substance! We need to find a better

source of energy so we do not waste our water supplies.

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureofthings/video.html?ID=1769597772

Environmental Impacts of Mining and Processing Oil Sands Page 383 Read… What are your thoughts on the oil sands?

Use points stated throughout the article as well as the information provided in the text. Explain your stance and why you feel we should use the oil sands or avoid them altogether.

Advantages of Oil Sands

Moderate cost – get a good dollar from them!

Large potential supply in Canada Easily transported Efficient distribution Technology is there to be used

Disadvantages of Oil Sands

Extreme amounts of land (boreal forests) will be clear cut for extraction

Low net energy yield HUGE amounts of water that can never

be used again Very high cost Water pollution through mining and

storage Air pollution when burned C02 emissions when burned!

Overall…

Do you believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for crude oil?

Please submit your two questions at the end of class.

Natural Gas

What is natural gas? Mostly methane! The simplest hydrocarbon. Other forms underground can include:

Ethane (2 carbons) Propane (3 carbons) Butane (4 carbons)

Natural gas lies above crude oil deposits – unless a company is willing to tap into this resource it is burned off at the well site. A complete waste of a natural resource!!!

Another form: Methane Hydrate

Methane + Water molecules = methane hydrate

Buried deep in the permafrost in the Arctic

Essentially, there is twice as much natural gas as there is oil on our planet.

Problem

The Cost Too much money to get the natural gas from

the hydrates. However, Japan is working hard at developing

a new technology to reduce the costs and to reduce the methane gas that is released when it reaches the surface.

Great Versatility

Natural gas is a versatile fuel. It can be burned to heat water and buildings,

and to run vehicles. It can be used to run medium-sized turbines to

produce electricity. a. They are clean-burning and more energy

efficient than coal-burning power plants. b. They are cheaper to build, require less time to

install, and easier and cheaper to maintain than coal and nuclear power plants.

Natural Gas Production Plant

Who has all the Natural Gas?

Russia and Iran have about 50% of the world’s reserves of conventional natural gas, and global reserves are expected to last 62 to 125 years. The long-term outlook for natural gas supplies

is better than for conventional oil. Natural gas use should increase because it is

fairly abundant and has lower pollution and CO2 rates per unit of energy compared to other fossil fuels.

Global Deposits and Usage

Canada? Canada has surplus natural gas, while gas

production in the U.S. is declining. Canada exports 51% of its annual natural gas

production to the U.S. The U.S. produces 16% of its electricity from

burning natural gas. Canadian natural gas production is expected to

peak between 2020 and 2030. More LNG (liquefied natural gas) could be

imported, but shipping is very expensive which reduces the net energy yield. It is also very flammable and could lead to large-scale fires at receiving terminals.

Coal

Coal is a solid fossil fuel formed in several stages as buried remains of plants from 300-400 million years ago were subjected to intense heat and pressure over millions of years. Made of carbon with small

amounts of sulphur (released as sulphuric acid when burned)

It also releases traces of mercury and radioactive materials…… ?

Extraction of Coal

One of the world’s most dangerous occupations is underground mining of coal. Accidents underground Black lung disease from coal

particles Area strip mining – flat land

with coal near the surface Contour strip mining – hills

or mountains Sometimes mountain tops will be

removed to expose coal and the rock will be dumped in nearby areas ruining the environment.

What is it used for? Coal is used to generate 40% of

the world’s electricity and 75% of the steel

It is the most abundant fossil fuel

10 times more energy in coal than in oil or natural gas

Coal resources could last 200-1000 years (depending on rates of usage)

Around the world large deposits are being depleted and if the consumption rate goes up then the resources will run out a faster rate.

Advantages of coal

AMAZING supply… 200-1000 years!!! Very high net energy… we get a lot of

energy from coal. Low cost – cheap fuel source Mining and combustion of coal is very

technologically advanced – from years of coal burning

Air pollution can be reduced with new technology (buffers in the smokestacks)

Disadvantages

A VERY high environmental impact Severe land disturbance, air and water

pollution Very high land use – need to mess around a

lot with land to extract resources Severe threat to human health through the

burning of fossil fuels High CO2 emissions when we burn it –

greenhouse gas, global warming Releases toxic mercury and radioactive

particles

Tradeoffs

Future of Coal

Converting to Synthetic fuels (liquid fuel such as methanol or synthetic

gasoline) This involves less CO2 emissions when

burned, higher cost (less wasting), vehicle fuel, and a large supply again.

However, CO2 emissions are greater compared to coal if you included the amount of energy it takes to process the synthetic fuels, lower net energy yield, higher cost to produce, high environmental impact, and required 50% more coal for processing than just burning coal.

Future of Synthetic Coal

Researchers are looking at ways to reduce CO2 emissions

Chambers to trap the CO2 in the smokestacks

The CO2 would be stored to not harm environment

If this works, the liquefied coal would be a much cleaner way to produce electricity than burning coal, oil, or natural gas.

Tradeoffs

Nuclear Energy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJfIbBDR3e8

Nuclear Fission Reactors

Neutrons split the nuclei of atoms such as uranium and plutonium and release energy as high temperature heat.

In the reactor, the rate of fission is controlled and the heat produces high pressure steam which spins turbines and generates electricity.

See it in Action!!

CANDU

Stands for Canada and uranium – nuclear reactor.

The reactor is shielded inside with a concrete containment vessel and then further isolated in the reactor building.

There are multiple safety features to reduce serious nuclear accidents.

Fuels - Uranium

Used for 12-18 months then moved to wet storage in pools of water on site.

After 6-7 years enough heat and radiation has subsided to allow for handling of the fuel cells.

They are then moved to dry storage.

Nuclear Fuel Cycle

The entire fuel cycle includes: The mining of uranium Processing to make fuel Using it in a reactor Storing the radioactive wastes (1000’s of years!!) And decommissioning of the radioactive reactor

after its useful life.

In evaluating the safety, economic gains, and environmental impact, energy experts and economists caution us to look at this entire cycle, not just the nuclear plant – we may not be getting enough energy to make it ‘worthwhile’!

Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Tradeoffs