World energy production

Coal combustion provides a substantial fraction of world energy production, both thermal and electrical. In addition, coal and its semi-processed derivative, coke, are cheap chemical reductants essential to the extraction of a variety of metals from their ores (e.g., Fe, Mn, Cu). The market for coal is likely to increase over the next decade only slowly in developed countries but more rapidly in developing countries with suitable domestic resources (e.g., China, India). 

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005) and R. C. Duncan. World Energy Production, Population Growth, and the Road to the Olduvai Gorge," Population and Environment 2001,22, 503 (or HubbertPeak.com/Duncan/... 

Conventional processes for hydrogen production are among major producers of C02 emissions. It has been proposed recently that C02 produced in steam reforming or partial oxidation processes could be captured and sequestrated in the ocean or underground. In our work we estimated that the total energy consumption for C02 sequestration (C02 capture, pressurization, transportation and injection), will most likely exceed 5,000 kJ per kg of sequestrated C02. Since about 80% of world energy production is based on fossil fuels, this could potentially result in the production of 0.20-0.25 kg of C02 per kg of sequestrated C02. 

Petroleum, natural gas, and coal are responsible for the vast majority of world energy production. These fuels are finite resources, and they are being depleted. Figure F-l shows the world s estimated remaining fossil fuel resources. 

There are practical difficulties and challenges, but the sun is still the most promising of renewable resources, and the most underutilized in modem society. Currently, less than 0.1% of the world energy production is from solar energy... 

The world energy production is dominated by fossil fuels as the main energy source. It amounted to 88% in 2007 with oil responsible for 37%... 

Apart from biomass, hydroelectricity is the only other renewable energy that currently makes a considerable contribution to the world energy production (Tables 5.1.1 and 5.1.2). The long-term maximum technical potential is believed to be 10-times the current hydropower production, but environmental concerns also have to be considered. 

The World Energy Council issues Conference reports on reserves, resources md production at six-year intervals. More limited reports ate issued at two-year intervals. The next report is expected in the fall of 1997. 

These divergent energy production patterns between the developing world and the United States are understandable. Heating and cooking are the major uses of biomass in the developing world because of affordability, availability, and convenience. 

The idea behind energy independence is that if all energy production occurs within a country s borders, then that country s economy will be insulated from any energy supply disruptions. The country would then have less unemployment and less economic decline if and when the world s energy exporters, especially OPEC members, cut their supplies. France, has developed a strong nuclear power industry so that it would not have to import as much oil... 

Since the duration of sweet sorghum for maturation is approximately 3-5 months, 2-3 crops could be harvested annually in Thailand. Therefore, the production yields of sugar would be double or triple. We can see the possibility of reducing the world energy crisis if sweet sorghum can be converted to energy efficiently. Typically, after harvest, the leaves of the fresh crop are stripped and the stems are squeezed in a roller mill (Fig.3) to obtain sweet sorghum juice, ft should be noted that the stems are stored at 4° C while the juice is kept at -20° C prior to use. 

On a global scale, there is little doubt that human activities associated with energy production, primarily of fossil fuels, have over the last few decades, altered the composition of atmospheric gases. World carbon emissions are expected to exceed 1990 levels by 39 percent in 2010. By 2020, this figure will be closer to 70 percent Two thirds of the total increase in carbon emissions will occur in non-industrialized countries. 

Recent advances in drilling and fracking technologies have made the access to huge deposits of natural gas in shale deposits technically and economically feasible. These are located across the United States and elsewhere [19,20], and thus shale gas production has grown about 48% per year from 2006 to 2010 in the United States. This fact will influence the American and the world energy outlooks for the near future, together with the variation in the oil price [21]. The... 

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