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Challenges to Energy Security - Is a demonization of conventional energy production under current global trends beneficial?: Difference between revisions
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Challenges to Energy Security - Is a demonization of conventional energy production under current global trends beneficial? (view source)
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Both the negative image of coal due to environmental awareness and the unclear situation in the energy sector in general have therefore caused a recent revitalization of nuclear construction. However, there are institutional and financial difficulties involved which limit the rapid developement and deployment of nuclear facilities. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Pressurized_Reactor European Pressurized Reactor] currently under construction in Finland is largely exceeding its preliminary budget and if it will ever be finished is unclear at the moment.<ref>Spiegel Online International 10152009. „Nuclear Renaissance Stalls“, http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,655409,00.html . Last access 12/07/2009.</ref> Additionally the building of nuclear reactors in most western countries involves activities and proceedings by numerous government agencies and institutions which does not neccessarily limit large scale nuclear programs but requires a broad consensus in society.<ref>Bodansky, David. Nuclear Energy: Principles, Practices and Prospects. New York 2008. p.603.</ref> While the outlook of the nuclear industry is still bright, with EU-supported [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_iv_reactor Generation-IV-reactors] in development<ref>Commission of the European Communites: „An Energy Policy for Europe“, http://ec.europa.eu/energy/energy_policy/doc/01_energy_policy_for_europe_en.pdf , Last access 12/07/2009.</ref> and Thorium as a replacement for the conventionally Uranium-fueled nuclear reactors there still remains the issue of waste disposal, which ultimately makes today's nuclear power a flawed concept both as a vehicle towards an economy based on renewable energies or if standards of intergenerational justice are applied. | Both the negative image of coal due to environmental awareness and the unclear situation in the energy sector in general have therefore caused a recent revitalization of nuclear construction. However, there are institutional and financial difficulties involved which limit the rapid developement and deployment of nuclear facilities. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Pressurized_Reactor European Pressurized Reactor] currently under construction in Finland is largely exceeding its preliminary budget and if it will ever be finished is unclear at the moment.<ref>Spiegel Online International 10152009. „Nuclear Renaissance Stalls“, http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,655409,00.html . Last access 12/07/2009.</ref> Additionally the building of nuclear reactors in most western countries involves activities and proceedings by numerous government agencies and institutions which does not neccessarily limit large scale nuclear programs but requires a broad consensus in society.<ref>Bodansky, David. Nuclear Energy: Principles, Practices and Prospects. New York 2008. p.603.</ref> While the outlook of the nuclear industry is still bright, with EU-supported [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_iv_reactor Generation-IV-reactors] in development<ref>Commission of the European Communites: „An Energy Policy for Europe“, http://ec.europa.eu/energy/energy_policy/doc/01_energy_policy_for_europe_en.pdf , Last access 12/07/2009.</ref> and Thorium as a replacement for the conventionally Uranium-fueled nuclear reactors there still remains the issue of waste disposal, which ultimately makes today's nuclear power a flawed concept both as a vehicle towards an economy based on renewable energies or if standards of intergenerational justice are applied. | ||
Coal-fired power generation then remains one of the most risk-free and profitable ways of providing large industries and households with electricity. The downturn of coal power is of course the fact that about 100 Kilograms of Carbon-Dioxide per Gigajoule is emitted.<ref>Petermann, Jürgen. Sichere Energie im 21. Jahrhundert. Hamburg 2008. p. 132.</ref> The IEA however suggests that worldwide developments will make coal to have the fastest growing share in worldwide energy consumption by 2030. Also Germany has the second largest reserves of lignite coal, amounting almost to one-fifth of world production and in a wider perspective it is the 30 member states of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OECD OECD] that combine 50% of world coal reserves, while they only possess 8% of worlds crude oil and 10,6% of gas.<ref>Petermann, Jürgen. Sichere Energie im 21. Jahrhundert. Hamburg 2008. p. 133.</ref> These obvious advantages in both energy security and availability make coal a viable resource for power generation. If the currently planned process of capturing and storing the emitted Carbon-Dioxide is realized then coal power could pave the way for an economy fully based on renewables without resorting to large-scale nuclear technology or endangering energy security for the sake of CO2 reduction targets. The IEA World Energy Outlook 2009 identifies [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_Capture_and_Storage Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)] for coal power plants as an integral component in reducing emissions in the energy sector and meeting the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_Panel_on_Climate_Change Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC)] demands of a maximum cap on greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.<ref>IEA World Energy Outlook 2009. p. 69.</ref> | Coal-fired power generation then remains one of the most risk-free and profitable ways of providing large industries and households with electricity. The downturn of coal power is of course the fact that about 100 Kilograms of Carbon-Dioxide per Gigajoule is emitted.<ref>Petermann, Jürgen. Sichere Energie im 21. Jahrhundert. Hamburg 2008. p. 132.</ref> The IEA however suggests that worldwide developments will make coal to have the fastest growing share in worldwide energy consumption by 2030. Also Germany has the second largest reserves of lignite coal, amounting almost to one-fifth of world production and in a wider perspective it is the 30 member states of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OECD OECD] that combine 50% of world coal reserves, while they only possess 8% of worlds crude oil and 10,6% of the worlds gas.<ref>Petermann, Jürgen. Sichere Energie im 21. Jahrhundert. Hamburg 2008. p. 133.</ref> These obvious advantages in both energy security and availability make coal a viable resource for power generation. If the currently planned process of capturing and storing the emitted Carbon-Dioxide is realized then coal power could pave the way for an economy fully based on renewables without resorting to large-scale nuclear technology or endangering energy security for the sake of CO2 reduction targets. The IEA World Energy Outlook 2009 identifies [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_Capture_and_Storage Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)] for coal power plants as an integral component in reducing emissions in the energy sector and meeting the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_Panel_on_Climate_Change Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC)] demands of a maximum cap on greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.<ref>IEA World Energy Outlook 2009. p. 69.</ref> | ||
==Conclusion== | ==Conclusion== | ||
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== References == | == References == | ||
* British Petroleum. ''[http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/reports_and_publications/statistical_energy_review_2008/STAGING/local_assets/2009_downloads/statistical_review_of_world_energy_full_report_2009.pdf BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2009]''. London 2009. | |||
* Bodansky, David. ''Nuclear Energy: Principles, Practices and Prospects''. New York: Springer, 2008. ISBN 978-0-387-20778-0. | * Bodansky, David. ''Nuclear Energy: Principles, Practices and Prospects''. New York: Springer, 2008. ISBN 978-0-387-20778-0. | ||
* Greenpeace e.V., ''Klimaschutz: Plan B – Nationales Energiekonzept bis 2020''. Hamburg 2007. | * Greenpeace e.V., ''Klimaschutz: Plan B – Nationales Energiekonzept bis 2020''. Hamburg 2007. | ||