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Conventional Energy Sources: Advantages and Disadvantages

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Conventional Energy Sources: There are many resources on our planet Earth to produce energy. Some of these resources are used only for a single time, deposited in limited quantity, and are also harmful to the environment, on the other hand, some resources are used repeatedly without endangering the future and eco friendly. Let’s discuss the Energy.

Conventional sources of energy

conventional source of energy: When we cannot reuse a sources of energy after using it once known as conventional sources of energy also called “non-renewable energy resources”. It is the most important conventional source of energy. It includes coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear energy. Oil is the most widely used source of energy.

Advantages of Conventional Sources of Energy

Advantages of conventional sources of energy are as follows;

  1. The efficiency of the energy sources is high. Because from 1gm of uranium, we get 1 MW of energy, and from 1-tonne coal, we get 2460 kWh of energy.
  2. The production expenses are low. According to government data of August 2021, the price of Uranium is $50/lb.
  3. The raw materials of conventional Sources of Energy are easy to transport. Raw materials such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas can be transported easily through trains or ships from one place to another.
  4. Generally it doesn’t need any specific place for installation. The government can easily set up a conventional plant according to their requirements. Such as if the government wants to install a thermal plant in Uttarakhand or in Jammu they can easily install it.
  5. Though it can generate energy instance, there is no need to wait and it produces as much energy as the requirements.

Disadvantages of Conventional Sources of Energy

Disadvantages of conventional sources of energy are as follows;

  1. They are the main reason for the pollution. Because it releases carbon monoxide from polluters into the atmosphere. According to The International Energy Agency, in 2018, India emitted 2,299 million tonnes of carbon monoxide. This report also said that India’s per capita emissions were about 40% of the global average and contributed 7% to the global carbon dioxide burden.
  2. Generating radioactive waste. We all know about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster which happened in 2011. Recently Japanese government has decided to release radioactively contaminated water into the ocean. But the environmentalists warn that it should be harmful to ocean life.
  3. High startup cost. According to the government estimate, the cost may be about 50 to 70 crores INR for setting up a 10 MW thermal power unit. Whereas to set up a nuclear power plant, it is required ₹60,000 crores.

Classification of the Sources of Energy

There are two major sources of Energy:

  • 1. Conventional Sources of Energy
  • 2. Non-conventional Sources of Energy

1. Conventional Sources of Energy

When a source of Energy cannot be reused after using it once, we call it a conventional Source of Energy. The conventional Sources of Energy are fixed and harmful to the environment. It can be further categorized into two divisions, such as

  • Commercial sources of Energy ( such as coal, petroleum, nuclear energy, natural gas, etc.)
  • Non-commercial sources of Energy ( such as firewood, straw, dried dung, etc.)

2. Non-conventional Sources of Energy

These types of resources get renewed or replenished fast for that reason, it is also known as renewable energy or clean energy.

  • Examples: solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, tidal energy, etc.

Importance of the sources of Conventional Energy.

Coal

It is a fossil fuel and most abandon conventional Sources of Energy. This involves a long process that takes place over a long period of time at least 200 years. It is mostly used for generating electricity by thermal plants. It contributes about 67% of total commercial energy. There are four types of coal of which Anthracite and Bituminous coal are mainly used to produce energy. In India Damodar Valley including the Chota Nagpur region, The Godavari basin is the most important source of coal production. India also imports some good quality coal from various countries such as Australia, Indonesia, Russia, etc.

Oil or Petroleum

India is the 3rd largest oil-consuming country in the world. It is a mixture of hydrocarbons. The estimated reserves of crude oil in India in 2018 stood at 595 million tonnes. It is the most conventional Source of Energy and is abandoned in India and all over the world. India completes 70% of its need by importing crude oil from Iran, the USA, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.

Natural Gas

It is a mixture of Methane, Ethene, Propene, Butene, and hydrogen sulfide. It is also making a significant contribution to the household sector. Natural Gas is extracted by ONGC. According to an estimate, there are 450 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves in India. Out of this reserve, 75% lies in Bombay High, 12% in Gujarat, 7% in Andhra Pradesh, and 6% in Assam. Almost 40% of natural gas is used in the fertilizer sector, about 30 % is used in power generation, and about 10% in LPG(cooking gas). Iran is the largest exporter of natural gas to India. It causes less air pollution.

Nuclear Power

It is a valuable source of clean energy in which a very small amount of radioactive substance can able to produce a lot of energy. Uranium, Thorium, and Plutonium are used as raw materials to produce nuclear power. At present, there is 17 nuclear power plant in India. A maximum of these plants are situated in the western part of India. It contributes less than 4% of the total energy production. India’s nuclear power programme is aimed to increase the present installed capacity of 6.78 GW to 22.48 GW by 2031.

Fuel-wood

It refers to various forms of wood used for cooking, heating, driving steam engines, etc. The various forms of fuelwood are firewood, charcoal, pelleted sawdust, wood chips, etc. A maximum of fuelwood is used by the rural people to produce energy for their day-by-day cooking. Rural people collect wood from natural forests and plantations. But overconsumption of fuelwood led to deforestation. Combustion of this resource also causes the emission of toxic gases into the air. So, nowadays people are using coal or biogas as a substitute for fuelwood. According to an estimate, in India, almost 67% of rural households still depend on firewood or wood chips for cooking. According to the data released by the Ministry of Statistics in 2015, there is a decline of only 12% over two decades.

Sources of Energy Consumption in India

Contribution of the Sources of Conventional Energy

Contribution (In Percentage)

Coal

48%

Petroleum

26%

Natural Gas

7%

Fuelwood

1%

Electricity

4%

Nonconventional energy

14%

Total

100%

Government Policies For the Energy Sector

The government introduced historic schemes like SAUBHAGYA, UJALA, and UJJWALA to extend citizens’ access to electricity, affordable efficient lighting, and clean cooking.

  • In recent times, the government wanted to shift its energy-generating sources from conventional to non-conventional (solar, wind, hydro energy, ocean current, etc.) methods to minimize environmental-related pollution.

Current Performance of India’s Energy Sector

The performance of Category generation during the year 2020-21 was as follows:-

  • Thermal Reduced by – 0.98 %
  • Hydro Increased by – 3.51 %
  • Nuclear Increased by – 7.41 %
  • Bhutan Import Increased by – 51.27 %
  • Solar, Wind & Other RES – 6.44 %
  • Overall Growth rate recorded by – 0.52 %

Year-End Assessment (2022) of India’s Renewable Energy Sector

India’s commitment at COP26, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is working towards achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030. Here are the latest data provided by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy;

  • India is in 4th rank globally in renewable energy with 172.72 GW installed capacity (including large Hydro projects).
  • India also ranks fourth globally in both wind and solar power capacity as per the REN21 Renewables 2022 Global Status Report.
  • Non-fossil fuel sources contribute up to 42.26% of India’s total installed generation capacity.
  • From January to October 2022, India added 14.21 GW of Renewable Energy capacity, compared to the 11.9 GW added in the year 2021.
  • 56 Solar Parks have been approved across 14 states with a total capacity of 39.28 GW.

India’s Current Non-Fossil Energy Capacity

Source

Capacity in GW

Renewable Energy

119.09 GW

Large Hydro

46.85 GW

Nuclear Power

6.78 GW

Total

172.72 GW

FAQs On Conventional Energy

1. What are the issues with conventional sources of energy?

Conventional energy sources can cause several various types of pollution. Some of the most common ones are air pollution, acid rain, and greenhouse gasses etc.

2. What are the disadvantages of Conventional Energy?

The disadvantages of conventional energy sources includes Environmental Impact – Conventional sources of energy such as coal, oil, and natural gas are a major patronto pollution and climate change. They dischargeharmful chemicals and greenhouse gases into the air, which can harm the environment and human health.

3. What are the sources of Non-Conventional Energy?

Natural resources like solar, water, wind, tides, biomass, etc. are non-conventional energy sources. These energy sources are clean and hence we can use these to produce pollution-free energy without any wastage.

4. What are the advantages of Non-Conventional Energy?

Non-conventional energy produces little or no pollution as compared to traditional energy sources. They require low maintenance. They are sustainable in nature and a long-term cost-effective choice. Which benefits the enviroments.



Last Updated : 03 Oct, 2023
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