Energy Resources of India: Petroleum, Fibers, Natural Gas Petroleum Refineries . There are two stages → Production (drilling) + Refining . For Petroleum refineries, the raw material sources were less decisive factors for industrial location
. Because industries were already setup in coalfields and did not move away due to industrial inertia.
. Petroleum refining does not lead significant weight loss, unlike aluminium/copper/sugarcane/ timber processing.
. Virtually all the by-products can be used. Therefore, refineries can be set up . Near the raw material or
. Near the market or
. at an intermediate break of the bulk location (Ports/Coastal locations) At raw material site: Disadvantages . Refinery will become useless after oil is exhausted from oil well
. So whatever millions of dollars you had invested in setting up that refinery will be wasted
. Oil refining close to production site represents a weight loss of 10-11 % only
. Hence not much cost saving in transport even if located near raw material site
. Refined products have higher rate of evaporation, therefore it is better to set up the refinery near the market
. After 1970s, many of the Middle East and African countries started nationalizing their oil operations
. The ownership of refineries/oil wells were transferred from MNCs to government owned PSUs
. Hence nowadays, MNCs are reluctant to setup refineries in this region for the fear of nationalization
Unrest / Instability as a location factor . Multinational companies do not feel confident to setup refineries inside the middle-east or South America . During Arab-Israeli war, OPEC members stopped supplying oil to countries that had supported Israel
. There have been war/war-like situations due to Israel-Palestine conflicts, Iran-Iraq, Iraq-Kuwait
. Such instability, destruction, aerial strike → not good for business . In South America, there have been frequent (and violent) changes in the regimes
Refineries at Market Location → Advantages . You can use raw material (crude oil) supply from more than one oilfield of more than one country
. So even if oil well is exhausted from country X, you can shift to country Y
. After refining, the finished petroleum products can be supplied to interior areas pipeline connection and trucks/tankers
. In Europe, manufacturing industries also consume a large portion of petroleum products
. Therefore, refineries are also located in major manufacturing centers, where petroleum products are demanded
India Refineries Challenges . Environmental activism/laws/regulations
. Fears of explosion
. Terrorism
. Hence becoming difficult to setup refineries near market location
Synthetic fibers True Synthetics . Nylon and Polyester
. Produced chemically from coal or Cellulose Fiber petroleum by products . Rayon → from natural cellulose & from wood pulp . Found near petrochemical . Found near pulp mills refineries Location factor Input . The base material for most of the true synthetic fibers is benzene fraction of crude oil
. Benzene → liquid hence evaporates quickly, hazardous to transport . Therefore, synthetic fiber factories located near/inside petrochemical industry
Output . Synthetic fibers → Non-bulky + Non-perishable → Easily transported . Therefore, synthetic fiber industry need not be setup near market location
. Although, with the progress in transport-cargo facilities, nowadays synthetic fiber industry is not always in close proximity with petroleum industry
India – Synthetic fiber industry . In late 60s, Dhirubhai Ambani started Reliance for textile manufacturing at Naroda near Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
. But since polyester is made from petrochemicals, so he entered in Petrochemical business.
. But petrochemical is derived from Petroleum refining, so he moved into Petroleum refining as well.
. Finally Jamnager refinery set up in Gujarat
. Thus he achieved complete vertical integration in the supply chain from crude oil to synthetic fibers (even garments via “only vimal” brand)
. Jamnagar refinery provides intermediate raw materials to Reliance’s textile units at Dahej, Naroda, Vadodara in Gujarat . Similarly Oil discovery in Ankaleshwar-Sanand-Kalol led to growth of Synthetic textile industry in this region of Gujarat
Natural Gas Natural Gas Compared to Petroleum
Disadvantages . Storage and distribution is difficult
. With the help of pipelines, the gas can be transported to the consuming centers, but the construction of pipeline and its security and maintenance is expensive. Hence export is problematic
. Once the pipeline is laid- its size/capacity cannot be Advantages increased . Cheaper . Leakage detection is difficult in case of underground . Does not pipelines require extensive . If market/buyers are not found, then gas is wasted by refining burning (flaring)
. Burns clean . Therefore it is economical only to mine gas near market areas/ only if pipeline is established International Pipeline Projects → India . Iran-Pakistan-India
. Myanmar-Bangladesh-India
. Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) ONGC Hazira, Gujarat
Input Natural gas from Bombay High
. They remove sulfur impurity from the (sour) natural gas, and send it to other regions via pipeline
Process . Process is known as “Sweetening the gas” “Sweet” natural gas is used in . LPG cylinders
. Nitrogen based fertilizers
Output . Household via pipelines as cooking gas
. Not the deciding factor
. Because skilled labour is mobile and Hazira has township for Labour them
. Hazira – Bijapur – Jagdhishpur (HBJ) pipeline passes through Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, UP, Delhi and Haryana
Transport . Hence all big markets are connected through pipeline
Gail Pipelines
Jamnagar Loni Pipeline Vizag Secunderabad Pipeline
. Reliance refinery Jamnagar
. Essar refinery Vadinar . Vizag – HPC Refinery
. Imported LNG from . Imports from Vishakhapatnam Input Kandla port port
. Ajmer & Jaipur in Rajasthan,
. Gurgaon in Haryana . Vijayawada . Delhi . Secunderabad, Near Hyderabad Market . Loni-Gaziabad (UP)
Length . 1300 Kms . 600 Kms
Reliance KG Basin – Refining done at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh
Input Gas from offshore block in Krishna – Godavari Basin Onshore Gas Terminal at Gadimoga, about 30 Km south of Refining Kakinada in the state of Andhra Pradesh
Transportation of Gas . East West Gas Pipeline (EWPL) transports gas from Kakinada, the landfall point of KG-D6 gas, to Bharuch (Gujarat) and traverses through Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
. From Bharuch, they use the pipeline network of Gujarat State Petronet to take the gas to end-consumers as well as connect to Hazira-Bijaipur- Jagdhishpur (HBJ) pipeline
. Through this entire Pipeline networking, gas reaches to fertilizer plants – . Tata Chemicals (Mumbai)
. Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers (Trombay)
. IFFCO’s (Phulpur – Allahabad)
. GSFC (Vadodara)
. Kribhco (Hazira & Kota)
Fertilizer Industry Alongside Natural Gas . Urea/ Nitrogen Based industries are located near Natural gas source
. Natural Gas has Methane (CH4), which when mixed with Oxygen, Nitrogen + heat in presence of catalysts produces Ammonia (NH3), known as Haber process
. This Ammonia (NH3) can be used for making nitrogen based fertilizers e.g. Urea . Therefore availability (and price) of Natural Gas, affects the location of Fertilizer industry
. Similarly Neptha (obtained from crude oil) is also used in production of nitrogen based fertilizers, hence proximity to oil refinery is also considered a favourable factor. . Thanks to oil and gas from Bombay High, the Gujarat-Maharahstra region got fertilizer plants at Hazira, Mumbai, Trombay, Vadodara etc.
. Similarly, Hazira-Bijaipur-Jagdhishpur(HBJ) pipeline → fertilizer industry in Bijapur, Sawai Madhopur, Shahjahanpur etc.
. The resources which are widely used and constitute the major source of energy
Conventional . Examples → Coal, Oil, Natural gas, Wood etc. resources of . Limited, Non-renewable, Costly, Cause Pollution & Energy Exhaustible
. Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Tidal Energy, Geothermal Non- Energy, OTEC (Ocean thermal energy conversion) etc. conventional resources . Renewable, Cheap, Pollution free & Inexhaustible
Renewable sources of . Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Tidal Energy, Fish, Trees Energy etc.
Non – Renewable sources of Energy . Fossils (Coal, Gas), Minerals, Nuclear Power etc.
. Which have life >> Forests, Crops, Animals, Coal & Biotic resources Mineral oil
Abiotic resources . Land, Water, Minerals
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 Anthracite . Best quality coal
. Approx. 90 % carbon content Bituminous . Found at J & K only in India . 70 – 90 % carbon content
. Very little smoke & ash content . Most common in India
. Burns without flames . Used in making coke Peat Lignite . 1st transformation of wood into . 40 – 70 % carbon content coal . Known as brown coal . ~ 40 % carbon content
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 & Basin oil fields)
. Largest share of NG is as follows - . 40 % → Production of chemical fertilizers . 30 % → Power generation . 10 % → LPG (Cooking Gas) . Conventional sources → Shale gas, 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
. 5th 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