Energy Crisis: Looking Up to Sun God

By
Praveen Jaiswal
IndianOil Skytanking Limited, New Delhi, India
Email: praveeniocl@yahoo.co.in; praveeenjaiswal@gmail.com

“Because we are now running out of gas and oil, we must prepare quickly for a third
change, to strict conservation and to the use of coal and permanent renewable
energy sources, like solar power”.

- Jimmy Carter, televised speech, Apr. 18, 1977

The world is busy solving the great energy riddle. On one hand are the conventional
energy sources in fossil fuels like coal and hydrocarbons that are not only guilty of
causing pollution and global warming, but also fast depletion and getting expensive
day by day. Control of energy reserves is a bone of contention fueling wars between
countries. The other end of the spectrum offers a utopia of renewable energy sources
like Solar, Wind, Hydro and Geo-thermal energy, which are infinite and clean in
usage, however, the current technological constraints do not allow us to generate
and utilize a sustainable and efficient amount that can support uninterrupted
industrial usage. Caught in a limbo, the current generation is walking a tightrope of
using a combination of both energy sources. However, the energy scene can see a
welcome change as emerging engineering technology is allowing us to tap into the
vast, unused reserves of natural gas.

From earth’s core to our door

The gas is extracted from sub-surface and stored as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
To enable large-scale transportation of natural gas, it is condensed at temperatures
below 150̊ C, where the gas achieves a liquefied stage. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
can now be shipped to different countries in special shipping vessels, received at LNG
ports that have capability of unloading, storage and distribution of fuel. LNG can then
be fed to the national pipeline distribution network or be loaded in special vacuum
insulated container trucks that can ferry upto 7 tons of LNG to industrial sites that are
in remote parts of the country not having access to piped gas. At the site the gas can
be stored in special tanks and after passing it though a re-gasification unit, the gas
can then be used for industrial applications.

As opposed to conventional petrol, fuel oil and diesel, LNG doesn’t emit suspended
particle or sulphur in the atmosphere. Hence it is a clean and green source of energy,
helping industries to meet modern fuel emission norms and earn carbon credits by
switching over to LNG-powered facilities. In addition LNG prices have remained stable
for decades, unlike oil prices per barrel. With cheap extraction at shale reserves, LNG
prices are no longer linked to oil and are expected to remain cost-effective, as the
current reserves are enough to quench the demand. For industries, switching over to
LNG can offer monetary savings of upto 35% on existing fuel costs.

In relation to other contemporary hydrocarbons, LNG is prone to lesser flammable

hazards. CNG is lighter than air and hence in a scenario of gas leakage or spillage,
the gas shall rise up in atmosphere and get dispersed. LNG, being extremely cold
takes time to convert into gaseous stage. LNG handling facilities can have a spill
confinement area that can segregate spilled LNG to a location where it can be
sequestered.

As LNG is adopted across industrial and domestic platforms for multiple applications,
it can significantly reduce fuel dependency and overseas fuel import costs. Natural
gas reserves have been detected in various parts of the sub-continent and can be
helpful in providing sustainable energy solution. Mobile Filling Stations can enhance
availability of LNG. Shipping industry, particularly domestic mineral ore barges plying
 Energy Crisis: Looking Up to Sun God
By
Praveen Jaiswal
IndianOil Skytanking Limited, New Delhi, India
Email: praveeniocl@yahoo.co.in; praveeenjaiswal@gmail.com

in canals and rivers, can reduce diesel dependency by shifting to LNG powered
engines.

Sun God: solar will thrive

Similarly solar power remains the brightly promising spot in the field of renewable
energy, and its prospects seem to be improving day by day. A new era in renewables
is clearly round the corner. The expert projection is that by 2020, global installed so-
lar capacity could be 20 to 40 times its current levels. However, even if all of the
forecast growth does occur, solar power will represent only about 3 to 6% of installed
electricity generation capacity in 2020. Nevertheless, the economics of solar power
are rapidly changing for the better due to scale economies, attendant cost reductions
and technology evolution. Besides, as fossil fuel prices rise, the relative prices of
alternative-energy sources like solar and wind power would surely fall.

The bottom line is that continued improvement in solar-cell designs and materials
can be expected for years. The figures suggest that over the last two decades, the
cost of manufacturing and installing a photovolatic solar-power system has de-
creased by about 20% with every doubling of installed capacity base. The result is
that solar power has been gradually moving toward cost competitiveness in some
regions abroad. The expert analysis is that by 2020 at least ten regions globally, with
strong sunlight, will have reached grid-parity. The price of solar electricity is
expected to fall from upward of 30 dollar cents per unit to 12, or perhaps even less
than 10 cents. Also, from now until 2020, installed global solar power capacity would
likely grow by about 30 to 35% per annum. So, solar power capacity worldwide would
step-up from roughly 10 gigawatts currently to about 200 to 400 GW.

Hence as we know, solar energy is renewable, environment friendly and with the
improvements in technology; in the long run, solar electricity will turn out to be
cheaper than buying it from a power company. Though there is a startup cost, but it
starts paying for itself. As said by Thomas Edition “I’d put my money on the Sun and
Solar Energy, what a source of Power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal
run out, before we tackle that”.