POWER RESOURCES

 

1.     Coal

It is used not only to produce steam power but also to generate electricity. In the first half of 20^th century, coal used to account for over 90% of the world power requirement but in later half of 20^th century, the use of coal declined considerably because of several reasons.

Coal is a sedimentary rock which is formed from the remains of decayed plants and trees. Based on its carbon content, coal is divided into four types-

Anthracite – it contains more than 90% carbon and emits very little smoke on burning.

 Bituminous – it contains nearly 70% carbon content and is the most common type, making up nearly 80% of the known reserve.

Lignite – it contains only 40% of carbon since it contains a large amount of moisture. It is not found suitable for use in industries.

Peat – it consists of partially decomposed vegetable matter. It is hard to burn as it emits little heat and a great deal of smoke.

USA is the leading producer of coal in the world. But, most of their coal is of bituminous quality. Russia is another very important producer of coal. Major coalfields lie in Siberia, Urals and Moscow region. Ukraine is another very important producer of coal. Coal mining states in China are Shansi, Honan Shantung and Hunan. UK also produces high quality of coal at Durham, New Castle, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derby and South Wales. Similarly, Ruhr Basin and Rhine Basin of Germany produce good quantity of coal. India, has mostly bituminous coal; the state of west Bengal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra and Andhra Pradesh are the leading producers. Lignite is found mostly in Tamil Nadu.

2.     Petroleum

It is a greenish or brownish colored liquid, found in porous sedimentary rocks in the earth. In modern times, petroleum has emerged as most important source of energy. Is is used in driving automobiles. Most of the oil reserves are located in off shore areas. The major producers are Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Russia, USA and Venezuela.

These countries supply over 90% of the world oil. In India, oil was first found in Assam have almost depleted Gujarat and Maharashtra are the major contributors because of their location. Gulf of Khambhat  and Mumbai High, an offshore area in the Arabian Sea are major oil producers in India. Some oil is also found in the Krishna –Godavari delta area. Petroleum is obtained in crude from. It is refined in oil refineries Several oil products like gasoline, petrol, kerosene, diesel, etc are made from it.

3.     Natural Gas

Natural gas is found along with petroleum. One of the main sources of natural gas is the relatively shallow stretch in the North Sea from Lincolnshire to the Netherlands. Gas is transported over great distances by pipelines. It`s by- products are used in the agricultural and industrial sectors.

Non-conventional resources are recent innovations that do not cause any pollution and can be renewed easily. Solar power, wind power, tidal power, geothermal power and nuclear power belong to this  category. One can safely include biomass in this group of alternate, substainable and non-polluting energy resources.

4.     Solar Energy

The sun provides abundant energy to the earth. According to an estimate, the solar energy of ten weeks is roughly equivalent to the energy stored in all known reserves of coal, oil and natural gas. It is most widely available energy. Many countries use this energy for cooking and heating purposes. Solar energy can be harnessed using solar collectors which can heat the heat water for domestic purposes. Photo-voltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. Experiments are being done to make solar energy more efficient and less expensive. Joan, France, Germany, USA, Canada and India are producing photo-voltaic cells in small quantities. They are still in early stage of development.  

5.     Wind Energy

Wind energy like solar power has evolved over a long period of time. Wind has propelled ships as well as driven windmills to grind grain or pump water. More recently, wind has been used to generate electricity. The potential for wind energy is tremendous. However, there are problems in its use because it is highly variable in time, place and intensity. Greatest potential for wind energy in North America coastal areas especially California. In Europe, Netherlands has used windmills for a long time. Denmark has several wind power units. China has ambitious plans to set up huge wind energy farms. From grinding to generating power for agricultural purposes, windmills have been in use for many decades.

6.     Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is heat generated by natural processes and is found beneath the earth`s surface. It is a useful conversion of natural heat from the earth`s interior. It was first developed in Italy. Today, more than twenty countries are producing this energy, Iceland is an example where geothermal power is tapped in an efficient manner.

7.     Nuclear Energy

It is the energy contained in the nucleus of an atom. The disintegration of radioactive elements like Uranium and Thorium release nuclear energy. It is obtained either through fission or fusion. Fission is the process of splitting of atoms to obtain nuclear energy. Fusion is the process of combining two atoms to obtain nuclear energy. USA and countries of Europe are the greatest producers of nuclear power. However, leading countries are halting their expansion due to mounting public skepticism over cost and environmental safety records. Uranium is the major atomic mineral. Its reserves are found in Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, USA, France, Italy, India, etc. Canada is the largest producer of Uranium. Thorium is another atomic mineral. The largest deposit of Thorium are found in Kerala (India), Brazil and USA. At present, about 30 countries in the world are producing nuclear energy.

8.     Hydroelectricity

Water power is generated by the force of falling water in hydroelectric power stations. This can be transported by transmission lines. The generation of hydroelectric power does not create pollution like Thermal power plants. Hydroelectricity is gaining importance because water is an inexhaustible resource. It is a clean energy too as it does not pollute the environment. Another advantage of this energy is its cheapness. It involves no cost in transport. Its transmission through wires makes it easily available to houses and mills. However, it cannot be stored for future. So, markets should be readily available for its consumption. Large amount of capital is required for making dams on river, fixing machines and turbines, and laying the transmission wires. Africa has the largest potential for hydroelectricity but has so far developed less than 1% of its potential. Developed countries like Norway, Switzerland, Canada, USA, etc have harnessed their water resources successfully. In India, hydroelectricity is being generated by several hydro power plants. Bhakra Nangal, Hirakud, Nagarjuna Sagar, Konya, etc are some of the famous projects.