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What do renewable and non-renewable mean?

Energy resources can be classified into two groups.

Renewable Non-renewable

Renewable energy resources Non-renewable energy

can be replaced or regenerated
and will never run out (at least
not for a very long time).
Examples: wind and solar.
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resources will eventually
run out once used they
cannot be used again.
Examples: coal and oil.
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Spot the energy resources
How many different energy resources are part of this scene?

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Non-renewable or renewable?

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What are fossil fuels?
Industrial societies need a lot of
energy and, at the moment, rely
on fossil fuels as the main source
of this energy.
Coal, oil and natural gas are fossil
fuels. They are carbon-based
materials that formed over millions
of years from the remains of
ancient plants and animals.
Fossil fuels are so useful because they contain stored
chemical energy, which is converted into large amounts of
useful heat energy when the fuels are burned.
The total amount of fossil fuels available is limited and so
they are classed as non-renewable energy resources.

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How do fossil fuels produce electricity?
Power stations that are fuelled by coal and oil, operate on
the same basic principle.
The fuel is burned and the heat
produced is used to boil water.
This creates high-pressure,
superheated steam, which is
then used to turn a turbine.
The turbine turns a generator
and so generates electricity.
The cooling towers cool the steam, which condenses as
water and can then be recycled in the power station.
Natural-gas-fired power stations do not use steam. The
natural gas is burnt and the hot gases produced are used
directly to turn the turbine.
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What happens in a coal/oil power station?

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Energy changes in a coal/oil power station

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Stages in a coal power station activity

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What waste do fossil fuels produce?
Burning fossil fuels creates waste
products that can act as pollutants and
have harmful environmental effects.
Carbon dioxide This greenhouse
gas is the main waste product of
burning fossil fuels. Increased levels
of carbon dioxide due to human
activities are thought to be
connected with global warming.
Sulfur dioxide and nitric oxides These gaseous
pollutants contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain.
Ash This waste solid is disposed of in landfill sites.
What can be done to reduce the problems caused by
burning fossil fuels?
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What is the greenhouse effect?

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Should we use nuclear power?

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What is nuclear fuel?
Nuclear fuel is used to generate
electricity but, unlike fossil fuels,
it does not burn.
In a nuclear fuel, such as
uranium, reactions take place
that split the atoms and release
huge amounts of heat energy.
This is called nuclear fission.
In a nuclear power station, the heat released from nuclear
fission reactions is used to change water into steam. As in
other types of power station, the steam then turns a turbine,
which turns a generator and produces electricity.
Nuclear power stations do not release any greenhouse gases
such as carbon dioxide or gases which cause acid rain.
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What happens in nuclear power station?

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What waste does nuclear power produce?
Nuclear power stations produce radioactive waste.
The used nuclear fuel contains some
uranium, which can be separated
from the waste and reused.
It also contains plutonium, which
is a highly-radioactive product of
the fission reactions that occur in
uranium nuclear fuel.
New reactors that use this waste
product as a fuel have been built.
However, plutonium is also used in the construction of
nuclear bombs and poses a very serious threat if it gets
into the wrong hands.

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Where can nuclear waste be stored?
Nuclear waste that cannot be reused poses serious problems
as it can remain radioactive for thousands of years.
Highly radioactive waste can
be turned into glass to help
stabilize it and prevent leaks
during storage.
One solution is to bury the
waste deep underground.
This must be in a geologically
stable environment, so there
are few suitable sites.
Another suggested solution is to dump radioactive waste
at the bottom of the sea. Dealing with nuclear waste is
expensive and any solution has to be long term.

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How quickly can electricity be produced?

The demand for electricity varies depending on the time of

day and time of year. Power stations have to cope with this.
Power stations cannot be Type of fuel Start-up time
turned on at the flick of a
switch. These are typical natural gas 1 hour
start-up times for power
oil 4 hours
stations that use non-
renewable energy resources. coal 7 hours
Natural gas power stations
nuclear power 48 hours
produce electricity quickly.
Nuclear power stations take about two days to reach full
power. They are only shut down for maintenance.
Which type of power is useful when extra power is needed
for a short time?
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How long can non-renewable energy last?

Non-renewable energy resources will eventually run out.

Type of fuel Time until reserves Scientists think that

run out natural gas reserves
natural gas 25-30 years will only last another
25-30 years.
oil about 75 years
It is difficult to be
coal about 300 years exact as new gas
fields are still being
nuclear power thousands of years discovered.
Even though nuclear fuel will last thousands of years, there
is still a limited supply and so it will eventually run out.
This is why nuclear power is classed as a non-renewable
energy resource.

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Fossil fuels: what are the pros and cons?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of burning
fossil fuels in power stations to generate electricity?
Advantages Disadvantages
of fossil fuels of fossil fuels
readily available non-renewable
easily transported acid rain
low fuel cost greenhouse effect

low building costs inefficient

short start-up times

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Opinions about using fossil fuels

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Nuclear power: what are the pros and cons?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using

nuclear power to generate electricity?
Advantages Disadvantages
of nuclear power of nuclear power
cheaper to run once built expensive to build
conserves fossil fuels non-renewable
no sulfur dioxide emissions produces radioactive waste

no carbon dioxide emissions expensive to decommission

safe under normal conditions links with cancer
small amount of fuel used risk of disaster
so less transport needed

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Opinions about using nuclear power

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Reporting about nuclear power

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 Glossary (1/2)
acid rain Rainwater that is more acidic than normal due
to the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the
atmosphere by burning fossil fuels.
fossil fuels Carbon-based fuels, such as coal, oil and
natural gas, that are formed over millions of years from the
remains of ancient plants and animals.
generator A device used in power stations, which
transforms kinetic energy into electrical energy.
global warming The increase in the temperature of the
Earth, which some scientists think is causing climate change.
greenhouse effect The trapping of heat from the Sun
by certain gases in the Earths atmosphere.
greenhouse gas A gas, such as carbon dioxide, that
can trap heat from the Sun in the Earths atmosphere.

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 Glossary (2/2)
nuclear fission The splitting of an atomic nucleus, which
releases large amounts of energy. In nuclear power stations,
this process provides the heat used in generating electricity.
nuclear fuel Material, usually uranium, that undergoes
nuclear fission and is the source of heat in nuclear power
stations.
non-renewable An energy resource that cannot be
replaced or used again and so will eventually run out.
renewable An energy source that can be replaced or
regenerated and so will not run out.
turbine A device used in power stations, which is turned
by the force of moving steam. It is connected by a shaft to a
generator to produce electricity.

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Anagrams

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Non-renewable energy resources summary

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Multiple-choice quiz

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