ENERGY TECHNOLOGY ASHIR ABDUL RAZACK LECTURER DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Indian energy scenario Energy crisis

INDIAN ENERGY SCENARIO:

The most significant commercial energy sources are coal, oil and electricity. Large amount of energy is derived from commercial fuels like agriculture waste, dung, fire wood etc.

COAL: India is the third largest producer of coal. Estimates made by geological survey of India shows that, India have 64,800million tons of coal reserve (6% of world crude reserve) There is a tremendous increase in coal production since Annual growth rate in 1980 has been nearly 7%. India’s production was 223 million tonein1990, (4.7 % of world production).

Problems associated with coal reserves: Quality of Indian coal is very poor. Ash content is high, 30 – 40% in the absence of beneficiation. – Adds to transportation cost – Places an undue burden on equipment in which coal is used Reserves of coking coal is limited. – Although coal production increased at the rate of 70% in the 80’s, but production of coking coal has remained more or less stagnant.

Oil : Recoverable reserves of oil is nearly 660 million tones. Oil consumption increased six fold in the past twenty five years. India now import 65% of its petroleum. By 2025 it will cross 90%. Imports costs thousands of cross of rupees. The oil demand has pushed India to make deals with other countries.

Domestic production of crude oil around 2.7 million tones. Present indications are that domestic production of crude oil may not increase much.

Natural gas Crude recoverable reserves of natural gas was estimated to be 648 billion cubic meters in In 1969 the production was only billion cubic meters and in 1999 is 25.7 billion cubic meters. Major gas fields have been discovered in 70’s and 80’s. Present indications are that gas production will increase and that the gas reserves will last longer than oil.

Challenges Natural gas consumption has risen faster than any other type of energy source, but India's limited domestic gas reserves spell a need for foreign dependency in this sector as well. The government has slowly been switching from highly polluting coal-fired power plants to plants using natural gas. India's natural gas needs have resulted in negotiations with nations of concern in terms of reliability, including Iran, Bangladesh, and Burma.

Water power The installed water power capacity in 1990 was 18950MW. Hydroelectric power contributes only 6% of India’s total energy production. The water power reserves of India have been estimated by central water and power commission as 41180MW.

Nuclear power The installed capacity of nuclear power plants in 1998 as is follows: locationCapacity(MW) Tarapur, Maharashtra320 Rana Pratap Sagar, Rajasthan440 Kalpakkam, T.N.417 Narora, U.P.470 Kartrapara, Gujarath.235

The total installed capacity in the country is more than 3000MW now. India’s resources of Uranium are not extensive. Estimated that crude recoverable reserves are around 50,000tonnes. Resources will last for around 25 years at the projected install capacity of 10,000MW.

There are fourteen state owned nuclear power plants in India. Nuclear power contributes only 3% of total energy produced. Government hopes to boost this sector through a deal allowing U.S. companies to sell equipment, nuclear fuel, and reactors to India. large scale expansion of the nuclear energy sector will likely take decades because of slow implementation and the relatively higher expense when compared to other forms of energy.

India’s projected energy needs: India’s goal is to maintain 8% GDP growth rate over the next quarter century to meet its goals for poverty eradication. This will require India to at least triple its primary energy supply and an increase in its electrical capacity. This will force India, which already imports a majority of its oil, to look beyond its borders for energy resources. “The gap between the energy demand and supply will slow down the economy.

ENERGY CRISIS: Causes Increasing energy consumption depleting energy supplies It is the situation when the supply of energy is not able to keep pace with the growing demand of energy.

Factors: Draught in various states Shortage of coal High price of oil products Inadequate railway transport Construction delays of new generating capacity due to problems of securing indigenous machinery Shortage of technical personals Inadequate maintenance Difficulty in getting spares Slow progress in forming a national grid septum Transmission losses

Remedial measures: Improvement in generation and transmission. Installation of intra-state and inter-state transmission lines so that the supplies arising out of the system can be used in other systems. Linking thermal plants with appropriate coal mines so that coal of required quality and quantity is supplied. Generation of power by dormant power plants by activation them. Installation of captive power status by bulk consumption such as chemical industries etc.

Historical crisis: 1970s Energy Crisis - Cause: peaking of oil production in major industrial nations (Germany, U.S., Canada, etc.) oil crisis - Cause: an OPEC oil export embargo by many of the major Arab oil-producing states, in response to western support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War oil crisis - Cause: the Iranian revolution spike in the price of oil - Cause: the Gulf War.

The 2000–2001 California electricity crisis - Cause: failed deregulation, and business corruption. The UK fuel protest of Cause: Raise in the price of crude oil combined with already relatively high taxation on road fuel in the UK. Argentine energy crisis of 2004.

North Korea has had energy shortages for many years. Zimbabwe has experienced a shortage of energy supplies for many years due to financial mismanagement. Political riots occurring during the 2007 Burmese anti-government protests were sparked by rising energy prices.

Kuwait's Al Burqan Oil Field

Reasons for global energy crisis: Continued global increases in petroleum demand. Production stagnation. Falling value of the U.S. dollar.

Crisis management: Sustained energy crisis may become a humanitarian crisis. If an energy shortage is prolonged a crisis management phase is enforced by authorities Energy audits may be conducted to monitor usage Various curfews with the intention of increasing energy conservation may be initiated to reduce consumption