Nonrenewable Energy Resources- Fossil Fuels ppt

Nonrenewable Energy Resources

Overview

  • Resources are considered nonrenewable if:

    • Their amounts are limited

    • They cannot be replaced as fast as they are used

  • Nonrenewable resources formed over millions of years may eventually be depleted.

  • Used worldwide for:

    • Powering vehicles

    • Heating buildings

    • Generating electricity

  • Four examples of nonrenewable resources:

    • Coal

    • Natural gas

    • Oil

    • Nuclear energy

Nonrenewable Resources

Nuclear Energy

  • Requires uranium, a radioactive metallic element.

  • Must be mined from the earth.

  • Produces nuclear waste that could pose environmental hazards if mishandled.

Natural Gas

  • Result of decomposed plants and animals trapped beneath the earth's crust for millions of years.

  • Extraction has environmental impacts such as wildlife habitat disruption and underground water contamination.

Oil

  • Derived from the liquefied, fossilized remains of ancient plants and animals.

  • Combustion impacts include:

    • Air pollution

    • Smog

    • Increased greenhouse gas emissions

    • Oil spills posing threats to wildlife and water supplies.

Coal

  • Formed from organic material compressed underground over millions of years.

  • Burning coal leads to air pollution and toxic ash.

Coal

Formation

  • Peat: The precursor to coal, formed from organic material over millions of years under pressure.

Types of Coal

  • Peat

  • Lignite

  • Bituminous

  • Anthracite

Global Coal Reserves

Distribution of Reserves

  • World coal reserves stood at approximately 1 billion tonnes in 2020, concentrated in:

    • United States (23%)

    • Russia (14%)

    • Australia (10%)

    • China (15%)

    • Remaining countries account for smaller percentages.

  • Important global players:

    • U.S.: 917.87M tonnes

    • Russia: 251.50M tonnes

Reserves Estimates

  • The world has about 139 years of coal left at current consumption levels.

  • Coal Use: Essential for industries like iron production, despite pollution concerns.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Coal

Advantages

  • Energy dense

  • Abundant and affordable

  • Easier to access than many resources

  • Low refining requirements

  • Various transport methods available

Disadvantages

  • Environmental consequences of tailings

  • Risks associated with subsurface mining

  • Air pollution from burning impurities

  • Potential chemical leaks from washing coal processes

Petroleum

Formation

  • Derived from remains of phytoplankton, around 50-150 million years ago.

  • Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons and impurities.

  • Ideal for combustion in vehicles due to its liquid form.

Global Oil Reserves

Key Statistics

  • Total proved oil reserves by country in 2020:

    • Middle East: 871.61 billion barrels

    • Latin America: 331.27 billion barrels

    • Russia: 80 billion barrels

  • Largest Oil Reserves:

    • Venezuela holds the largest with estimates over 200 billion barrels.

Refining Crude Oil

  • Crude oil is transported to refineries via various methods.

  • Refined into products like tar, asphalt, gasoline, diesel, and kerosene.

  • U.S. has approximately 150 refineries, with large capacity to refine millions of gallons daily.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Petroleum

Advantages

  • Convenient transportation

  • Energy dense

  • Burns cleaner than coal (releases less CO2)

Disadvantages

  • Contains toxic metals released during burning

  • Risk of spills during transport

  • Environmental impact, including habitat destruction

Oil Spills

Major Incidents

  • Exxon Valdez (1989): 11 million gallons

  • BP Deepwater Horizon (2010): 206 million gallons

  • Gulf War (1991): 240 million gallons

Natural Gas

Characteristics

  • Composed mainly of methane (80-95% CH4).

  • Essential for electricity generation; supplies 27% of U.S. energy.

  • Can be liquefied for easy transport (LPG).

Natural Gas Reserves

Top Countries

  • Significant reserves held by:

    • Russia (24.3%)

    • Iran (17.3%)

    • Qatar (12.5%)

    • United States (5.3%)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Natural Gas

Advantages

  • Fewer impurities than coal/oil

  • Emits minimal sulfur dioxide

  • Low CO2 emissions during combustion

Disadvantages

  • Methane is a potent greenhouse gas

  • Environmental concerns related to hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking)

Overview

  • Process of injecting high-pressure water jets into underground deposits to access resources.