Power Resources

• Energy can be obtained from various sources e.g. fuels, water, sunlight and wind.
• Sources of energy can be divide into:
Renewable sources of energy Non-renewable resources of energy
Which wont exhaust, will last long Which will exhaust, wont last long

Non-renewable energy resources:

Coal
Coal formation:
Coal is a very old fossil fuel, taking several hundred million years to form.
• It is formed by the decomposition of natural vegetation (trees, plants etc.) on the floor of
equatorial swamp forests.
Main types of coal:
§ Peat:
Represents the initial stage of coal formation.
§ Lignite:
Better than peat, but still a low quality coal with a high moisture and ash content.
§ Bituminous:
It is a superior, black, hard coal formed in highly compressed seams.
§ Anthracite:
It is the best quality coal. It is the hardest with highest hydrocarbon content.

In Pakistan, bituminous to lignite types of coal is found.

Q) How is coal mined/extracted?

• Open cast method of mining is used when coal seam outcrop on the surface (or lie too near
to the surface).
• Adit mining is done when coal seam is closer to the slope or side of the mountain.
• Shaft mining is done when seam is deeply embedded underground.

Q) How is coal transported from the coalmine to the user end?

• After extraction of coal from the seam or coalface, it is loaded on to trolleys running on a
truck.
• Coal is brought outside the mine.
• Donkeys/mules are also used for this purpose besides trolleys, especially in inaccessible
areas.
• Once out of the mine, coal qualities are separated and sold to the middleman.
• It is further loaded into trucks and supplied to brick kilns and cement factories etc. where it
is used as a fuel.

Q) Why would coal be a preferred source of energy/power in Pakistan?

• Pakistan has large reserves of coal, which must be explored. Pakistan’s total coal reserves
are many times greater than the total reserves of gas and oil.
• The new formed coal reserves in Pakistan range from semi-bituminous to bituminous.
• Acute power shortages in Pakistan make the use of coal even more compelling. Coal can
be used for electricity generation in thermal power plants.
• Coal is used as a raw material in a number of industries e.g. steel mill _ thus helps
industrialization.
• Coal can be converted to coal gas and transported easily in cylinders.
• Coal gas can also be used as vehicle fuel.

• Most of the oil has to be imported by Pakistan to meet its energy demand (It increases
Pakistan’s import bill).

Q) What is meant by coal gas?

Through gasification, coal can be used as a cheap fuel. Coal is heated in the presence of steam
and oxygen to produce coal gas.

Coalmines in Pakistan:
§ Sindh: Lakhra, Thar, Haji coal etc.
§ Punjab: Eastern salt range, Central salt range, Makerwal
§ Balouchistan: Duki, Sor range, Musakhel, Chamalong etc.

Mineral oil (Petroleum)

• Most important fossil fuel, known as ‘black gold’.

Q) How is oil formed?

Crude oil is found in the earth’s crust. Millions of years ago, small animals and plants died and fell
to the bottom of the sea. Their remains got buried underground. Together the heat and pressure
turned the remains into crude oil.

Q) What is anti-cline oil trap?

• An anti-cline oil trap is a dome shaped trap for oil, between two layers of non-porous rocks.
• Oil is trapped in the anti-cline, with gas above and water below.

Q) How is oil extracted from the oil trap?

OR How is oil drilled out?
• The first step for oil extraction is the seismic/geological survey of the region.
• Through this survey, dome-shaped layers of rocks are identified.
• After selection of site, a derrick or oilrig is fixed.
• A derrick/oilrig is a steel structure to hold drilling machinery.
• Drilling begins, which is done up to 10-20 thousand feet depth.
• Crude oil obtained from drilling is then sent to an oil refinery.


Q) What is meant by the following terms?

§ Porous rocks: are those, which allow water or liquid to pass through.
§ Non-porous rocks: are those, which do not allow water or liquid to pass through.

Q) Where should oil refineries be located?

Oil refineries should be located:
• In or near the oil fields (Attock oil refinery in Potwar Plateau) to save transportation cost.
• At the port of import, so oil refinery located at or near ports can refine imported crude oil
conveniently.

Oil refineries in Pakistan:

• Attock refinery (Morgah, Rawalpindi)
• Pakistan refinery (Karachi)
• Pak-Arab refinery/PARCO (Karachi & Mehmood Kot)
• Indus oil refinery (Karachi) – not operational
• Khalifa coastal refinery (Lasbela, Balouchistan) – not operational yet

Q) What are the uses of oil?

• Oil is used as a motor fuel. It drives motor vehicles and aircrafts etc.
• Oil is used as a lubricant for machines to reduce friction.
• Oil is an important source of power to generate electricity.
• The by-products of oil refineries have many domestic and industrial uses e.g. plastics,
furnace oil, wax, detergents, chemical products etc.

Transportation of petroleum:
Q) How is oil transportation done by sea?
• Pakistan imports both crude oil and refined oil by sea, from oil producing states e.g. UAE
and Saudi Arabia.
• Oil is transported in special ships called oil tankers.
• An oil tanker is berthed at designated oil pier at Keamari/Karachi port.
• The oil pier is a platform with an oil handling system.
• Through pier, ships are connected to oil handling system, and oil is pumped from oil
tanker/ship to the oil marketing companies’ storage tank at Keamari and Korangi.
• Oil products may be further transported up country.

Advantages:
ü Can carry and transport oil in bulk (as much as 2 million barrels of oil at once).
ü Economies of scale for transporting oil achieved.
Disadvantages:
û These ships can’t dock at any port.
û They also present risk of an ecological disaster if lost/leaked.
û The cost to construct and run these ships is high.

Q) What is PARCO’s white oil pipeline project?

• It is a 786km pipeline project from Karachi to Mehmood Kot.
• It aims at carrying refined oil (diesel) from Karachi to the north of Pakistan.
• The project will create job opportunities.
• The project that would complete in 2019 would lessen the load of oil supply on road.
• It will help avoid incidents like the Bahawalpur tanker incident.

Q) Through which ways oil can be transported on land?

Oil can be transported in these ways on land:
By pipeline:
ü Pipeline transportation is the most efficient and convenient.
ü It is the cheapest mode of transportation.
ü It is the safest mode of transportation (to avoid accidents like Bahawalpur tanker accident).
ü It is far more environmentally friendly.
û Its initial cost is higher.
û It cannot be extended to mountainous areas.
û Theft easily done.
û Can be easily damaged (as in Balouchistan).
By rail:
ü Though lesser load of oil transported by rail if compared with pipeline or oil tanker/ship, it
still moves nearly 100,000 barrels of oil per train.
ü Efficient cost per mile.
û Time consuming.
û Rail accidents are common.
û Cannot be extended to mountainous areas.
By road:
ü Suitable for oil transportation to mountainous areas.
ü Best for point-to-point supply.
û Most limited storage capacity.
û It can cause traffic congestion.
û It can cause accidents (Bahawalpur accident in 2017).
û It can cause road degradation.

Natural gas
Q) Where is natural gas formed?
• Natural gas is an important fuel in oil-bearing rocks, above the oil.
• These rocks have millions of tiny holes, which soak up the gas as it is formed.
• Above this rock is a layer of non-porous rocks that trap the gas under ground and stops it
from leaking out to the surface.
• Natural gas is made up of many gases, especially methane, ethane, propane and butane.

Q) Explain the distribution of natural gas to major cities of Pakistan.

• Natural gas was discovered in 1952 in Sui, Balouchistan, by Pakistan Petroleum Limited
(PPL).

• It is considered to be one of the largest in the world.
• Soon after discovery, a pipeline to Karachi was completed, to provide cheap fuel to
industries.
• Another pipeline to Multan was completed in 1958 to supply gas to thermal power station
and fertilizer plant.
• This pipeline was further extended to Faisalabad and then Lahore.
• It was also taken to Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar.
• A pipeline was also extended to Quetta from Sui.

Main gas field in Pakistan:

• Sui-Balouchistan
• Pirkoh-Balouchistan
• Mari-lower Sindh
• Meyal-Potwar plateau
• Dauraal-Potwar plateau

Q) Why is natural gas an important fuel in Pakistan?

• Natural gas is of great importance in Pakistan as Pakistan is short of fuel and power
resources.
• Coal mined is of poor quality.
• Oil provides 20% of the local energy needs, the rest is imported.
• Firewood is short because of less forest cover.
• Natural gas is also used for electricity generation in thermal power plants.
• Natural gas is also used in many industries e.g. fertilizer and cement.
• Used as fuel for vehicles (CNG and LPG).
• Can be transported easily in cylinders.

Thermal electricity
• Electricity generated by non-renewable resources like oil, coal, gas and nuclear fuel is
called thermal electricity.
• Fossil fuels and nuclear power stations produce heat energy.
• This energy is used to turn water into steam, which is then used to run turbines. The
spinning of turbines drives an electrical generator, producing electricity.

Q) Why 46% of thermal power in Pakistan is generated in and around Karachi?

• Karachi is the largest city of Pakistan with a very large population.

• Nearly half of the industrial units of the country are located in Karachi, besides thousands of
small-scale industries; therefore plenty of electric power is needed to run the industries.
• Moreover, there is no source of hydal power in Sindh, thus dependence on thermal power.
• Therefore, thermal power is also used, as large reserves of coal are available in Sindh, and
the oil import at Karachi port.
• Thus, to fulfill the growing need of power in Karachi for industrial and domestic use, 46% of
thermal power in the country is generated in or around Karachi.
Q) State the differences between thermal power station and HEP.

Thermal power station HEP

• Fossil fuels, which drive thermal power
stations, will eventually be exhausted.
• Fossil fuels cause pollution when they
are burnt, and are not environmentally
friendly.
• Thermal power stations can be
developed at any place where fossil fuels
are available.
• Thermal power stations are less
expensive to build than HEP stations, but
their running cost is very high.
• Water is a renewable resource used to
generate HEP, and it will not be
exhausted.
• HEP produces power without burning
anything. It is environmentally friendly.
• HEP stations have certain physical and
climatic requirements for their
development.
• The initial cost for the construction of an
HEP station is very high but the running
cost is low.

Q) What are the physical conditions needed for hydroelectric power generation?
• A hilly region where streams are fast flowing.
• The non-porous rocks in mountainous areas prevent leakage.
• Steep hills provide steepness to the channel/tunnel leading to the powerhouse.
• A narrow valley, which provides a suitable site for building a dam to create a reservoir.
• A rainy climate to ensure continuous water supply.

Nuclear energy
It is the power that is released from atoms. It is the most powerful source of energy. Nuclear
energy can be obtained from two processes – fusion and fission.

Nuclear fission:
• In this, energy is released when two or more atomic nuclei join together (at a very high
energy) to form a new, heavier nucleus.
• In both fission and fusion, heat energy is used to make steam, which turns the turbine,
starting the generator to make electricity.


Q) Name a nuclear power plant in Pakistan.

• Karachi nuclear power plant (KANUPP I, KANUPP II & III)
• Chashma nuclear power plant (CHNUPP I, II & III)
• Muzaffargarh nuclear power complex (under construction)

Q) What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy?

Advantages
• Pakistan is already deficient in coal
and oil. Thus, nuclear energy can
solve our energy problem.
• The chances of accidents in a
nuclear power station are low due to
extraordinary safety measures taken.
• Nuclear power contributes less to
green house effect, causing acid rain,
than conventional fuels.
• Little/small amount of radioactive
element produces enormous amount
of energy.
Disadvantages
• The fuel rods in reactors produce
dangerous rays, which are harmful if
leaked.
• Initial cost of construction is high.
• Hi-tech required, which has to be
imported.
• Nuclear waste disposal is a problem,
remains radioactive.
• Nuclear technology can end up being
used to military means or into
terrorists’ hands.

Renewable energy resources:

Solar energy
• Solar power is the conversion of the sun’s energy into electricity.
• In solar energy, solar panels are exposed to sunlight and light is converted into electric
current, which is stored into batteries.

Wind energy
Describes the process by which wind is used to generate electricity. Wind power is utilized by
installing wind turbines. Wind turbines convert kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power.
A generator converts mechanical power into electricity.


Biogas
It is produced from animal and plant waste. Fermentation of cow dung gives off methane gas,
which is used for cooking, heating and other purposes.

Tidal energy
It is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power, mainly
electricity.

Geothermal energy
It is thermal energy, generated and stored in the rock and fluids beneath the earth’s crust.

Q) How is electricity produced in hydroelectric power stations?

• HEP stations use the force of water to generate electricity.
• Through a steep tunnel, the water from the reservoir is made to fall on a turbine, which is a
fan-like machine.
• The force of water rotates the turbine, which moves the generator that in turn produces
electricity.
• The electric current is regulated by a transformer and sent through the power line at the
required voltage.

Q) What are the reasons for high cost of electric power?

• High cost of fuel such as coal, oil or gas is used in thermal power plants.
• There is plenty of wastage, loss and theft of current, and non-payment of bills. All these are
met by increasing the cost of electric power.
• The government is purchasing electricity from private power companies at high rates, thus
the rates have to be increased.

• High electricity demand and shortage of power.

Q) What factors are responsible for the shortage of energy supplies in Pakistan?
• Many power plants are not working to their full capacity, due to financial constraints, lack of
technical experts and maintenance facilities.
• Reduced flow of water in rivers during winters reduces HEP generation.
• Long transmission lines cause loss of electricity.
• Siltation in reservoirs also disrupts power generation in dams.
• Power theft occurs on large scale.
• Fossil fuel prices increase the cost of electricity generation.
• Industrialization, urbanization, and rural electrification have increased the demand for
electricity.

Q) What is meant by National Grid System and what is its purpose?

• A grid system consists of power generating stations and load centers.
• With its large network of transmission lines and grid stations, it transmits power to load
centers and then to commercial and domestic users throughout the country.
• Its purpose is to supply electricity to different areas according to their need, and not on the
basis of their own power generation.

Q) What are the advantages and disadvantages of renewable sources of energy?

(Explained in the lecture)