
Energy resources
Primary energy resources come from non-renewable energy resources (fossils, solid fuels, crude oil, natural gas), renewable energy resources (hydropower, geothermal, biomass, wind and solar power). They all serve for primary energy production. The use of these resources varies from country to country across Europe, which leads to different levels of production. Primary sources can be also divided according to their impact on global warming into carbon-intensive (solid fuels, oil, gas), and low- or zero-carbon (wind, solar, biomass, hydropower, geothermal and nuclear) sources.
Derived energy resources are produced from primary energy sources by converting them into other forms of energy for end-user consumption. Examples are electricity, petroleum products and heat.
Fossil fuels – Combustion of solid fossil fuels is the most common way of producing energy. Each of the processes within this production has a negative impact on the environment: mining, extraction, processing, transport, incineration, energy conversion and waste generation. During the process, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), dust and particulate matter are emitted. CO2 is the main culprit for the greenhouse effect, while SO2 and NOx contribute to the formation of acid rain and, together with dust, degrade air quality. Global combustion of solid and liquid fuels for energy, transport and industry is a source of about 80 % of emitted CO2 emissions. As for European countries, there are about 30 percent. Solid fossil fuels are the most serious polluter of the environment.
Nuclear power - The normal operations of nuclear power stations do not result in serious environmental impacts. Problems arise from the storage and disposal of radioactive waste and the risks of major environmental impacts from nuclear accidents. Long-term storage of radioactive waste is a major concern, for which there is not yet a clear solution. There is also concern about the risks and problems of waste storage associated with the decommissioning of reactors at the end of their lifetimes.
Renewable energy sources – In addition to well-known and widely used hydroelectric power sources, there is a whole range of alternative or non-traditional sources of renewable energy, commonly referred to as "renewable energy sources", or RES for short:
- Wind energy – Wind power is generated from the kinetic energy of air ultimately originating from solar energy, which generates differences in the temperatures of air masses and layers, where the wind itself comes from. LEARN MORE
- Solar energy – Solar radiation is the most powerful source of energy on Earth. There are two main methods for using solar energy:
- the first involves the conversion of solar energy into heat. LEARN MORE
- the second involves the direct conversion of solar energy into electricity. LEARN MORE
- Geothermal energy – Energy from thermal waters can be converted into electricity using turbines and generators. LEARN MORE
- Tidal energy – The water levels of oceans and open seas rise and fall twice a day due to gravitational pull between the Sun and Moon. The amplitude of tidal swells ashore is 1 to 1.5 m, but in a bay that draws narrower toward the head, these swells can be several times higher. Therefore, it is sometimes economically sound to build a barrage across such a location and mount turbines driving electric generators. This is the basic scheme of a tidal power plant. This method of energy production is still poorly implemented worldwide.
- Biomass energy – The burning of plant biomass is another way to generate energy. This technique does not contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect, since only the carbon recently consumed by the plants during photosynthesis is released into the atmosphere. Moreover, without burning the biomass, nearly the same amount of carbon dioxide would be released into the air as a result of natural decay. However, biomass burning does produces carbon monoxide and soot, while the efficiency of such power facilities is poor, due to the low caloric value of the fuel. Thus high volumes of biomass needed to generate energy make this a relatively expensive energy alternative. Another option involves the digestion of biomass or organic waste in a special device (digestion tank or methane tank) and subsequent use of methane (biogas) to generate electricity for household needs. This method can be used in places where large amounts of agricultural, wood or municipal waste are available, and where there is no permafrost. If it is possible to produce methyl or ethyl alcohol through the fermentation of agricultural or wood waste, it can be used as a motor fuel – either by itself or combined with other fuels. For example:
- In Brazil, for example, alcohol produced from sugar cane is widely used as a motor fuel.
- During World War I, due to the lack of gasoline, the cars and planes of the Russian army were fuelled with a so-called “Kazan” mixture, a blend of gasoline and ethyl alcohol.
- Methyl alcohol produced from wood waste is used as a motor fuel for racing cars and motorcycles. LEARN MORE