Energy Resources of India

Ashok Chawla Committee on Natural Resources

• Creation of national database of natural resources
• Allocation of natural resources, if possible, through e-auction
• Measures for benefit of stakeholders in mineral rich areas

Need for conserving Conventional Energy Resources

• Are limited in supply and cannot be renewed easily.
• Due to population explosion, modernization and industrialization the demand for energy resources is increasing day by day.
• To control energy crisis there is need to conserve conventional energy resources.
• There is also an eminent need to explore alternative sources of energy.

Energy Crisis

• A situation in which resources are less than the demand.
• In the past few decades due to high demand, there is shortage of energy resources, which has created energy crisis
• Major causes for Energy Crisis:

• Rapid Industrialization
• Over Population
• Transfer losses
• Rise in oil prices
• Problems in Middle east
• Wastage of energy resources

Coal

• Quality of coal is determined by its carbon content
• Major problems of Indian Coal –

• Low Carbon content
• High Ash content
• Low Calorific Value

• Major coal producing areas in India → Jharkhand > Odisha > Chhattisgarh > West Bengal
• Chhota Nagpur Region → Hub of 90 % of Indian minerals (esp.in Coal & Iron → Ruhr of India)

Major types of Coals

Coke

• Formed by destructive distillation of coke
• Heating of coal in the absence of oxygen to burn of volatile gases
• High in carbon content

Petroleum / Mineral Oil

• Found in sedimentary rocks of marine origin.
• Formed by decomposition of tiny marine creatures, plants & vegetation under mud, silt & sand.
• Over the years, it underwent chemical changes to form crude oil & natural gas under the action of heat & pressure.
• 20 % of India’s crude oil & gas demand is produced domestically & 80 % is imported.
• Jamnagar Refineries of Reliance industries is world largest refinery complex.

Natural Gas

• Mainly contains methane & found in association with mineral oil (75 % lies in Bombay high & Bassein oil fields)
• Largest share of NG is as follows –

• 40 % → Production of chemical fertilizers
• 30 % → Power generation
• 10 % → LPG (Cooking Gas)
• Conventional sources → Shale Sas, Coal Bed Methane, Methane Hydrates, Tight Sandstones

Bio-Fuels

• Fuel derived from Non fossil plants.

• In India, mainly centers around cultivation & processing of Jatropha plant seeds, used in production of Bio – Diesel
• Encouraged only on wasteland / government / forest land
• Not allowed on fertile land

• To produce ethanol from sugarcane (Bio-ethanol)
• National Bio-fuel Policy – Targets minimum 20% biofuel blending (both bio-diesel and bio-ethanol) across the country by 2017

Electricity in India → Thermal > Hydro > Wind > Nuclear

Thermal Energy

• 67 % of total energy production
• Generated by using fossil fuels (Coal, Petroleum, Natural gas)
• No Geological conditions required
• Limited reserves, Rising demands (cost) & non – ecofriendly.
• Largest Producer → Maharashtra
• To boost Thermal power production gov. has promoted Ultra Mega Power Projects (4000 MW & above)

Hydroelectricity

• 18 % of total energy production
• Eco-friendly, Clean & Renewable
• Small hydel power projects < 25 MW
• Are counted under New renewable energy sources
• Largest Producer → Andhra Pradesh
• Central electricity authority (CEC) has estimated Hydel power potential of 84000 MW at 60 % load factor from 39000 MW at present

Nuclear Energy

• 26 % of total energy production
• Energy obtained from atomic minerals viz. Uranium, Thorium, zircon, beryllium
• Provide colossal energy through a small quantity of substance
• Thorium → Found as monazite sand in lakes & sea beds
• Thorium → AP > TN > Kerala > Orissa constitutes 30 % of world reserves
• Largest Producer → Tamil Nadu
• Very economical; does not produce green-house gases that pollute atmosphere

Wind Energy

• Non-conventional Renewable source of energy
• 5^th largest installed wind power capacity in the world
• Largest Producer → Tamil Nadu
• High cost as compared to the efficiency of power generated
• Nagercoil (TN) and Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) are well known for effective use of wind energy in the country.

Solar Energy

• Non-conventional Renewable source of energy
• Thermal + Photovoltaic → Sunlight to energy
• High cost as compared to the efficiency of power generated
• India plans to add 20000 MW of solar energy by 2022 under Jawahar Nehru National Solar Mission
• The largest solar plant of India is located at Madhavpur, near Bhuj, where solar energy is used to sterilise milk cans.

Tidal Energy

• Non-conventional Renewable source of energy
• Oceanic tides can be used to generate electricity.
• Floodgate dams are built across inlets
• During high tide water flows into the inlet and gets trapped when the gate is closed.
• After the tide falls outside the flood gate, the water retained by the floodgate flows back to the sea via a pipe that carries it through a power-generating turbine.
• In India, the Gulf of Kutch, provides ideal conditions for utilising tidal energy.
• Experimental plant (150 kw) at Vizinjam (Thiruvananthapuram) & 900 mw at Kutch

Geo Thermal Energy

• Refers to the heat and electricity produced by using the heat from the interior of the Earth
• Exists because, the Earth grows progressively hotter with increasing depth
• Groundwater in such areas absorbs heat from the rocks and becomes hot.
• It is so hot that when it rises to the earth’s surface, it turns into steam.
• This steam is used to drive turbines and generate electricity.
• Two experimental projects have been set up in India to harness geothermal energy
• Parvati valley near Manikarn in Himachal Pradesh and Puga Valley, Ladakh

Bio Gas

• Energy produced from organic waste such as farm waste, shrubs, animal and human waste
• Converted into energy by direct combustion or by conversion of such wastages into alcohol, methane, or other storage fuels
• Provides pollution-free energy
• Cheaper than most of the common fuels
• The residue can be used as manure
• Has higher thermal efficiency in comparison to kerosene, cow dung, coal and charcoal

OTEC

• Ocean thermal energy conversion
• Uses the difference between cooler deep and warmer shallow surface ocean waters to run a heat engine.