Classification of Energy sources

About 70% of India's energy generation capacity is from fossil fuels, with coal
accounting for 40% of India's total energy consumption followed by crude oil and natural
gas at 24% and 6% respectively. India is largely dependent on fossil fuel imports to
meet its energy demands by 2030, India's dependence on energy imports is
expected to exceed 53% of the country's total energy consumption. In 2009-10, the
country imported 159.26 million tonnes of crude oil which amount to 80% of its domestic
crude oil consumption and 31% of the country's total imports are oil imports. The growth
of electricity generation in India has been hindered by domestic coal shortages and as a
consequence, India's coal imports for electricity generation increased by 18% in 2010.
Due to rapid economic expansion, India has one of the world's fastest growing energy
markets and is expected to be the second-largest contributor to the increase in global
energy demand by 2035, accounting for 18% of the rise in global energy consumption.
Given India's growing energy demands and limited domestic fossil fuel reserves, the
country has ambitious plans to expand its renewable and nuclear power industries.
India has the world's fifth largest wind power market and plans to add about 20GW of
solar power capacity by 2022. India also envisages to increase the contribution of
nuclear power to overall electricity generation capacity from 4.2% to 9% within 25 years.
The country has five nuclear reactors under construction (third highest in the world) and
plans to construct 18 additional nuclear reactors (second highest in the world) by 2025.
Types of Energy
Basically energy can be classified into two types:
Potential Energy
Kinetic Energy

Potential Energy
Potential energy is stored energy and the energy of position (gravitational). It exists in
various forms.

Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy is energy in motion- the motion of waves, electrons, atoms, molecules
and substances. It exists in various forms.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy sources also called non-conventional energy are sources that are
continuously replenished by natural processes. For example, solar energy, wind energy, bio-
energy bio-fuels grown sustain ably), hydropower etc., are some of the examples of
renewable energy sources A renewable energy system converts the energy found in sunlight,
wind, falling-water, sea waves, geothermal heat, or biomass into a form, we can use such as
heat or electricity. Most of the renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from sun
and wind and can never be exhausted, and therefore they are called renewable.
Various Forms of Renewable Energy
1. Solar energy
2. Wind energy
3. Bio energy and Biofuel
4. Hydro energy
5. Geothermal energy
6. Wave and tidal energy
1. Solar energy
Solar energy is the most readily available and free source of energy since prehistoric times.
2
India receives solar energy in the region of 5 to 7 kWh/m for 300 to 330 days in a year. This
energy is sufficient to set up 20 MW solar power plants per square kilometer land area.
Solar energy can be utilized through two different routes, as solar thermal route and
solar electric (solar photovoltaic) routes. Solar thermal route uses the sun's heat to produce
hot water or air, cook food, drying materials etc. Solar photovoltaic uses sun's heat to produce
electricity for lighting home and building, running motors, pumps, electric appliances, and
lighting.
2. Wind energy
Wind energy is basically harnessing of wind power to produce electricity. The kinetic
energy of the wind is converted to electrical energy. When solar radiation enters the earth's
atmosphere, different regions of the atmosphere are heated to different degrees because of
earth curvature. This heating is higher at the equator and lowest at the poles. Since air tends
to flow from warmer to cooler regions, this causes what we call winds, and it is these airflows
that are harnessed in windmills and wind turbines to produce power.
3. Bio energy
Biomass is a renewable energy resource derived from the carbonaceous waste of various
human and natural activities. It is derived from numerous sources, including the by-products
from the wood industry, agricultural crops, raw material from the forest, household wastes
etc.
Biofuel: Unlike other renewable energy sources, biomass can be converted directly into
liquid fuels biofuels for our transportation needs (cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, and
trains). The two most common types of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel.
Ethanol is an alcohol, similar to that used in beer and wine. It is made by fermenting
any biomass high in carbohydrates (starches, sugars, or celluloses) through a process similar
to brewing beer. Ethanol is mostly used as a fuel additive to cut down a vehicle's carbon
monoxide and other smog-causing emissions. Flexible-fuel vehicles, which run on mixtures
of gasoline and up to 85% ethanol, are now available.
Biodiesel, produced by plants such as rapeseed (canola), sunflowers and soybeans,
can be extracted and refined into fuel, which can be burned in diesel engines and buses.
Biodiesel can also make by combining alcohol with vegetable oil, or recycled cooking
greases. It can be used as an additive to reduce vehicle emissions (typically 20%) or in its
pure form as a renewable alternative fuel for diesel engines.
4. Hydro energy
The potential energy of falling water, captured and converted to mechanical energy by
waterwheels, powered the start of the industrial revolution. Wherever sufficient head, or
change in elevation, could be found, rivers and streams were dammed and mills were built.
Water under pressure flows through a turbine causing it to spin. The Turbine is connected to
a generator, which produces electricity.
5. Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is heat derived within the sub-surface of the earth. Water and/or steam

geothermal energy can be used for heating and cooling purposes or be harnessed to generate
clean electricity. However, for electricity, generation high or medium temperature resources
are needed, which are usually located close to tectonically active regions.
6. Tidal and Ocean Energy
Tidal electricity generation involves the construction of a barrage across an estuary to
block the incoming and outgoing tide. The head of water is then used to drive turbines to
generate electricity from the elevated water in the basin as in hydroelectric dams.
Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth's surface, making them the world's largest solar
collectors. Ocean energy draws on the energy of ocean waves, tides, or on the thermal energy
(heat) stored in the ocean. The sun warms the surface water a lot more than the deep ocean
water, and this temperature difference stores thermal energy.
Renewable Energy- Potentials

Importance- Conventional energy Sources Potential in India

Energy is one of the major building blocks of modern society. Energy is needed to
create goods from natural resources. Economic development and improved standards of energy are
complex processes that share a common denominator: the availability of an adequate and reliable
supply of energy. Political events, beginning with an oil embargo in 1973 and continuing
through the Iranian revolution of 1979 and the Persian Gulf War of 1991, made many people
aware of how crucial energy is to the everyday functioning of our society. Long gasoline lines and
cold winters with natural gas shortages in the 1970s are still unhappy memories for some
people. The energy crisis of the 1970s was almost forgotten by the 1980s. However, that decade
brought an increased awareness of over environment. Concerns about global warming, acid rain
and radioactive waste are still very much with us today, and each of these topics is related to our use
of energy.
Energy pervades all sectors of society; economics, labour, environment, international
relations in addition to our own personal livings i.e., housing, food, transportation, recreation
and more. The use of energy resources has relieved us from many drudgeries and made
our efforts more productive. Human beings once had to depend on their own muscles to provide
the energy necessary to do work. Today our muscles supply less than 1% of the work done in
the industrialized world.
Energy might best be described in terms of what it can do. We cannot see energy, only
its effects; we cannot make it, only use it; and we cannot destroy it, only waste it through
inefficient use. Unlike food and housing, energy is not valued in it but for what can be done
with it. Energy is a basic concept in all the science and engineering discipline. A very
important principle is that energy is a conserved quantity, i.e., the total amount of energy in the
universe is constant.
Nuclear Energy
India has 14 nuclear reactors operating with 2720 MWe combined generating capacity.
Four 220 MWe reactors were commissioned between late 1999 and December 2000. The
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) wants to boost capacity to 20,000 MWe
by 2020 (7 -10%> of total electricity generating capacity). The outlook is improving for India's
nuclear-power industry, as plants have been running at an average capacity factor of 80% and
reactor outages have been shortened. Quality of fuel supplies has risen and delivery times have
improved. In 1999, NPCIL declared its first dividend, but nuclear industry is still heavily reliant
on Government funding. Government spending for research and development for the current
five7year plan is $193.5 million which is five times the previous level. By mid-2001, two more
reactors were scheduled to enter critical development stages. Construction is progressing on two
500 MWe units: the first uses Indian-developed design and technology. Construction is also
scheduled for six additional reactors.
Alternative Energy Projections
By 2010, India wants 10% of all additional electric capacity to come from renewable
energy sources. The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (commonly known as
IREDA), which is a part of the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, oversees the
development of these energy sources.

Renewable Energy Potential In India

Renewable Energy Programme
The relevance of the increasing use of renewable energy sources in the transition to a
sustainable energy base was recognised in India even in the early 1970s. Since the early 1980s,
a significant thrust has been given to the development, trial and induction of a variety of
renewable energy technologies for use in different sectors. To begin with, the endeavours were
steered and overseen by the Commission for Additional Sources of Energy (CASE) set up in
1981. In 1982, a separate Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (DNES) was
created in the Ministry of Energy and was entrusted with the charge of promoting non-
conventional energy sources. A decade later, this was upgraded and thus MNES (Ministry of
Non-Conventional Energy Sources) started funding as a separate Ministry from 1992 to develop
all areas of renewable energy.
As per its mandate, the MNES has been implementing a broad-based programme
covering the whole spectrum of renewable energy technologies. The aim of the programme is to
(a) increase me share of renewables in the overall installed capacity power generation (b) meet
the energy needs of rural and remote areas for a variety of applications (c) minimize the
drudgery and health hazards faced by rural women in following the age-old practice of cooking
with fuel-wood collected from long distances and in traditional chulhas which emit a lot of
smoke and (d) extract energy from urban and industrial waste besides chemical, ocean and geo-
thermal sources. The underlying idea of the programme is not to substitute but to supplement
the conventional energy generation in meeting the basic energy needs of the community at
large.
Current Status
The national programmes in different areas of renewable energy sector have resulted not
only in generation of public awareness about the advantages of renewable energy but also in a
visible increase in the deployment of renewable energy systems and devices for varied
applications. Consequently, the contribution of renewable energy to total installed capacity of
power generation has been progressively rising. As on October, 2003, the contribution of
renewables has reached 4132 MW, representing about 4% of total grid capacity, as compared to
2414 MW on October 1999. Almost all the areas namely solar, wind, biomass, small hydro and
urban as well as industrial waste have contributed to the satisfactory achievement of renewable
energy sources in the country. With a wind power capacity of 2000 MW, India now ranks fifth
in the world. Small hydropower generation, which is particularly suitable for remote and hilly
regions, is being expanded. India is the largest producer of cane sugar and the world's largest
bagasse based co-generation programme is being implemented in the sugar mills. There is also
considerable scope for extracting energy from urban and industrial wastes.
The programmes to meet the rural energy needs are the National Project on Biogas
Development (NPBD) and the National Programme on Improved Chulhas (NPIC). The NPBD
aims at harnesing the fuel value of the cattle dung, human waste and non-woody organic wastes
without losing their manurial value and minimising the drudgery of rural woman in walking
long distances to collect fuel wood. The objective of NPIC is to improve efficiency of biomass
fuels without indoor air pollution.
Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation have led to generation of huge quantities of wastes,
which are rich sources of energy. Under the National Programme on Energy Recovery from
urban, municipal and industrial wastes, promotion and development of projects leased on
appropriate conversion technologies such as biomethanation, gasification, palletisation and land
fills is being undertaken. This programme aims at harenessing the estimated power generation
potential of about 1000 MW from urban and municipal wastes and about 700 MW from
industrial wastes. Projects with an aggregate capacity of 26 MWe have been completed. The
achievements of various renewable energy sources in India during the last four years has been
shown in Table2.
Table.2 Renewable energy achievements in India during the last four years
SI. No Programmes As on As on
12.10.1999 12.10.2003
A. Grid Connected Systems
(installed capacity in MW)
Wind power 1022.00 2002.00
Small Hydro 1218.00 1530.00
power Biomass/Cogeneration 171.00 571.00
power
Urban and industrial waste 2.00 26.00
power
Solar photovoltaic power 1.00 3.00
Total 2414.00 4132.00
B. Decentralized systems
Biogas plants (Nos. in lakh) 28.80 35.50
biogas plants (Nos.) 2, 673.00 3. 902.00
Improved chulha (Nos. in lakh) 250.00 350.00
Solar home lighting 64,000.00 2,60,00000
systems(No)
Solar street lighting sys. (Nos.) 32,920.00 43,470.00
Solar lanterns (Nos. in lakh) 2.22 4.42
SPV pumps (Nos.) (solar pv) 2, 160.00 6, 400.00
Solar water heating system 5.70 7.00
(lake sq. meter collector area)
Source: http:// mnes.nic.in [Ministry of Non-Conventional energy sources. New Delhi, India]
 Biomass utilization
Biomass utilization as a valuable bioenergy resource. Bioenergy refers to energy derived from
biological materials such as plants, organic waste, and other renewable sources. Here are some
key points about biomass utilization for bioenergy:

1. Traditional Biomass Use:

o Traditional use involves the combustion of biomass in forms like wood, animal waste, and
traditional charcoal.
o In India, traditional biomass has been widely used for residential heating. However, this
practice is gradually declining, often replaced by oil and gas12.
o Traditional biomass remains an essential energy source in many rural areas globally.

2. Modern Biomass Technologies:

o Modern bio energy technologies offer more efficient and sustainable ways to utilize biomass:
 Liquid Bio fuels: These include biofuels produced from sugarcane bagasse and other plants.

 Biogas: Produced through anaerobic digestion of organic residues.

 Wood Pellet Heating Systems: Used for space heating.
 Bio-refineries: Facilities that convert biomass into various products.
 Solid Biomass for Power Production: Growing trend in modern energy systems.

3. Bio fuels in Transport:

o Bio fuels play a modest role in transport, representing less than 1% of total transport fuels.
o In India, the focus is primarily on bio ethanol, which accounted for 3% of gasoline consumption
in 20191.

4. Opportunities and Challenges:

o India has significant opportunities to further deploy bio energy:
 Coal Replacement: Replacing coal with solid biomass in existing assets.

 Modernization: Transitioning from traditional to modern, less polluting forms of bio energy.
 Transport Bio fuels: Utilizing domestically available agricultural residues.
 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): Exploring energy potential from waste management systems.

5. Renewable Energy in India:

o In 2019, renewables constituted 22% of India’s total energy supply.
o The share of renewables in final energy consumption was 31%, with biomass contributing
significantly.
Remember, while traditional biomass remains important, modern bio energy technologies offer
cleaner and more sustainable alternatives for meeting energy demands.
Biofuels and characteristics
Biofuels and Ethanol

materials. These fuels are usually blended with petroleum fuels namely with gasoline and diesel
fuel, but they can also be used on their own. Ethanol and biodiesel are also cleaner burning fuels,
producing fewer air pollutants. It has drawn significant attention due to increasing environmental
concern and diminishing petroleum reserves. Bio-diesel fuel can be made from renewable
vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled cooking oils by trans esterification process. Biodiesel is
the fastest growing alternative fuel in the world. Ethanol is a alcohol fuel made from the sugars
found in grains such as corn, sorghum, and wheat, as well as potato skins, rice, sugarcane, sugar
beets and yard clippings by fermentation. 14.0 Characteristics of bio-fuels. The following are
some of the characters for the efficient bio-diesel:

a) Kinematic viscosity
b) Density
c) Calorific value
d) Melt or pour point
e) Cloud point
f) Flash point
g) Acid value
h) Iodine value
i) Cetane number
j) Stability oxidative, storage and thermal
k) Carbon residue
l) Ash percentage
m) Sulphur percentage

Kinematic viscosity: Viscosity represents flow characteristics and the tendency of fluids to
deform with stress. Viscosity affects injector lubrication and fuel atomization. Fuels with low
viscosity may not provide sufficient lubrication for the precision fit of fuel injection pumps,
resulting in leakage or increased wear. Fuel atomization is also affected by fuel viscosity. Diesel
fuels with high viscosity tend to form larger droplets on injection which can cause poor
combustion, increased exhaust smoke and emissions.

Density: I s the weight per unit volume. Oils that are denser contain more energy. For example,
petrol and diesel fuels give comparable energy by weight, but diesel is denser and hence gives
more energy per litre. Biodiesel is generally denser than diesel fuel with sample values ranging
Ethanol from agricultural produce (Sugar cane and corn)
Non-petroleum fuels liquid fuels find use when petroleum fuels are scarce or costly. The
scientists have been in search of new fuels to replace conventional fuels that are used in
IC engines. Among all the fuels, alcohols, which can be produced from sugarcane waste and many
other agricultural products, are considered the most promising fuels for the future. There are two
types of alcohols: methanol (CH3OH) and ethanol (C2H5OH). Ethanol has attracted a lot
of attention as a transport fuel because it is relatively cheap non-petroleum-based fuel. Also, the
emissions from the combustion of ethanol are much less than for fossile fuels. Ethanol, being a
pure compound, has a fixed set of physical as well as chemical properties. This is in contrast to
petrol and diesel, which are mixtures of hydrocarbons.. But in countries like India, ethanol is a
strong candidate since they possess the agricultural resources for it production. It is a more
attractive fuel for India because the productive capacity from sugarcane crops is high, of the
order of 1345 l/ha. Earlier, this fuel was not used in automobiles due to low energy density, high
production cost and corrosion. The current shortage of gasoline has made it necessary to
substitute ethanol as fuel in SI engines. At present, Brazil is the only country that produces fuel
alcohol on a large scale from agricultural products (mainly sugarcane). Brazil was the first and
biggest producer of cheapest bio-ethanol in the world. Second cheapest bio-ethanol is made from
corn in the USA. Properties of ethanol and methanol are similar, with difference of only 5 -10%.
Ethanol is superior to methanol as it has wider ignition limit (3.5 -17) than methanol (2.15 -12.8).
Ethanol calorific value (26,880 kJ/kg) is considerably higher than methanol (19,740 kJ/kg).
Ethanol is a much more superior fuel for diesel engines as its cetane number is 8.

Compared to the cetane number of 3 for methanol, Ethanol is used in racing cars due to its very
high heat of vaporization. 16.1 Manufacture of ethanol Three different feed stocks are available
for ethanol production such as, sugar feed stock i.e., sugarcane and sugar beet; starch feed stock
i.e., cereal grains and potato and cellulose feed stock i.e., forest products and agricultural
residues. 16.1.1 Ethanol from starchy feed stock (grains) Ethanol production from cereal grains
such as barley, wheat and corn is a much easier process than from cellulose material. The process
includes several steps, as listed below:

a) Milling of grains
b) Hydrolysis of starch to sugar units
c) Fermentation by yeast
d) Distillation
e) Removal of water from ethanol

After grinding the raw material, it is mixed with water and enzymes to break down the starch to
sugar units. The free sugar can be used by yeast or bacteria and converted to ethanol and carbon
dioxide. As the concentration of ethanol increases to about 15%, fermentation is reduced, since
high alcohol concentration kills the yeast or bacteria. It is then necessary to separate the ethanol
from the other material in the fermentation tanks by distillation. Distillation increases the ethanol
concentration up to about 95%. In order to remove the rest of the water from the ethanol
solution, it must be dried by different drying agents to a concentration of 99.5% ethanol or
absolute ethanol. Extractive distillation with benzene also yields anhydrous ethanol. It is possible
to produce 1 litre of absolute ethanol from about 3 kg of wheat.

Ethanol production from sugarcane is one of the easiest and most efficient processes since
sugarcane contains about 15% sucrose. The glycosidic bond in the disaccharide can be broken
down into two sugar units, which are free and readily available for fermentation. The cane is cut
and the juice is extracted by maceration. After clarification, the juice is concentrated by boiling.
The concentrated juice is fermented with yeast to produce raw ethanol. A series of distillation
steps including a final extractive distillation with benzene are used to obtain anhydrous ethanol.
The normal yield of ethanol is about 8.73 litres of alcohol per tonne of cane. The potential of
ethanol production in India is about 475 litres per year.