Oil, nuclear power, gas, and renewables – energy sources in the world
The debate about the future of energy is in full swing due to climate change. There is no civilization without energy. We need it for transport, heating, cooling, agriculture, industry and services. We can produce it on a large scale from only a few sources.
The most variable energy is in the form of electricity. Electricity consumption in the world varies significantly. It is highest in Scandinavia, where there is cheap water and abundant nuclear resources, in South Korea, which has gone big on nuclear power, in North America, which is one of the biggest air polluters due their consumption behaviour, and in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, that are rich in oil and gas. On the other hand, the electricity consumption is the lowest in most economically underdeveloped countries in Africa and South Asia.
Coal
The first engine of the industrial revolution was coal. Factories were established mainly in places where there was the most coal like in Britain, The Ruhr, Saxony, Silesia, Donbas or, for example, in the East of the United States. Coal remains a major source to this day – it is cheap and plentiful and is easy to transport. The problem is how to replace the ‘dirtiest’ source of energy. In 2017, the EU, as a whole, produced more electricity from renewable sources than from coal for the first time. However, in some countries, especially in Central Europe and the Balkans, such a reality is still hard to imagine.
Gas
Some countries are trying to combine solar and wind sources with gas. They complement each other well – gas-fired power plants can be quickly started and turned off according to fluctuating supplies from wind and solar farms. Emissions from burning gas are also lower than coal.
In Europe, this is the way Germany especially is headed. The largest European supplier and the second largest producer in the world is Russia. Apart from Russia, most natural gas is found in the Middle East and in the United States. Thanks to fracking technology, they have become its largest producers. Due to their isolated location, this leads to a boom in the transportation of compressed and cooled gas by sea in special tankers. The Americans extract most of the gas in Texas and Pennsylvania. However, the fracking fields also lie on the vast and sparsely populated prairie of the Midwest.
Oil
Where there is gas, there is often oil. Even in its production, the USA has recently reached the top. However, the US does not have enough and they have to import it from other countries.
In the Eastern Hemisphere, the main producers are again Russia and the Middle East, as well as several African countries.
Emissions
Countries that are rich in hydrocarbons are usually also the biggest “burners”. They produce the most carbon dioxide emissions per capita. Only developed countries compete with them in this.
In addition to emitting greenhouse gases, the burning of coal, gas and oil also has more direct consequences. It releases a number of substances into the air that directly threaten health. According to UN estimates, air pollution kills about 7 million people a year. In addition, it causes costs of 5 trillion dollars a year. Economist Anil Markandya and political scientist Paul Wilkinson attempted to calculate how many human lives energy production takes by source – coal was the worst, nuclear energy the best.
The nuclear energy
It is currently the largest and most reliable emission-free source of electricity. Its advantages include stable supply to the network, relatively cheap operation, a small amount of waste and high safety. The disadvantage is the large acquisition costs, public concerns about the consequences of a possible accident and problems with the storage of radioactive waste.
The biggest advantage of nuclear energy is the proven and well-known technology. In the case of a political decision, it is possible to involve large volumes of production relatively quickly. This happened, for example, in France, when in just 10 years between 1976 and 1986, the share of electricity produced from nuclear power increased from less than 8 % to more than 70 %.
Renewable sources
There are other sources of clean energy, especially water, the sun and wind. Despite their rapid growth in recent years, however, they are still in a significant minority.
The top 10 countries using the largest percentage of renewable energy are: Democratic Republic of the Congo (96,24%), Somalia (95,03%), Central African Republic (91,26%), Uganda (90,22%), Gabon (89,88%), Ethiopia (88,92%), Liberia (87,24%), Guinea-Bissau (86,24%), Tanzania (85,22%) and Burundi (84,77%).
Water
Hydropower plants have reliable power supplies and are relatively cheap. But they also have some disadvantages, for example, flooded valleys require the displacement of people and it also has a negative impact on life in the river.
Wind
Another renewable energy source is wind. The most important things are speed and stability, which are the highest at sea. The North Sea coast is one of the most suitable regions for wind power plants worldwide.
Sun
Solar power plants are also becoming more and more discussed. In the United Arab Emirates, they have launched the world’s largest solar park with a capacity of almost 1.2 GW, capable of providing electricity for 90,000 people. China has started a solar power plant on the lake, and similar projects are in the Netherlands, Japan and the United Kingdom. Technology is also evolving very rapidly and the possibilities may soon be completely different.