World energy supply and consumption
World energy supply and consumption refers to the global supply of energy resources and its consumption. The system of global energy supply consists of the energy development, refinement, and trade of energy. Energy supplies may exist in various forms such as raw resources or more processed and refined forms of energy. The raw energy resources include for example coal, unprocessed oil & gas, uranium. In comparison, the refined forms of energy include for example refined oil that becomes fuel and electricity. Energy resources may be used in various different ways, depending on the specific resource (e.g. coal), and intended end use (industrial, residential, etc.). Energy production and consumption play a significant role in the global economy. It is needed in industry and global transportation. The total energy supply chain, from production to final consumption, involves many activities that cause a loss of useful energy.[3]
As of 2022, energy consumption is still about 80% from fossil fuels.[4] The Gulf States and Russia are major energy exporters. Their customers include for example the European Union and China, who are not producing enough energy in their own countries to satisfy their energy demand. Total energy consumption tends to increase by about 1–2% per year.[5] More recently, renewable energy has been growing rapidly, averaging about 20% increase per year in the 2010s.[6][7]
In 2022, consumers worldwide spent nearly USD 10 trillion on energy, averaging more than USD 1,200 per person. This reflects a 20% increase over the previous five-year average, highlighting the significant economic impact and the increasing financial burden of energy consumption on a global scale.[8]: 13
Two key problems with energy production and consumption are greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution. Of about 50 billion tonnes worldwide annual total greenhouse gas emissions,[9] 36 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide was a result of energy use (almost all from fossil fuels) in 2021.[10] Many scenarios have been envisioned to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, usually by the name of net zero emissions.
Per capita, energy consumption in North America is very high, while in less developed countries it is low and usually more renewable.[11][12] There is a clear connection between energy consumption per capita, and GDP per capita.[13]
A significant lack of energy supplies is called an energy crisis.
Primary Energy refers to first form of energy encountered, as raw resources collected directly from energy production, before any conversion or transformation of the energy occurs.
Energy production is usually classified as:
Primary energy assessment by IEA follows certain rules[note 1] to ease measurement of different kinds of energy. These rules are controversial. Water and air flow energy that drives hydro and wind turbines, and sunlight that powers solar panels, are not taken as PE, which is set at the electric energy produced. But fossil and nuclear energy are set at the reaction heat, which is about three times the electric energy. This measurement difference can lead to underestimating the economic contribution of renewable energy.[16]
Enerdata displays data for "Total energy / production: Coal, Oil, Gas, Biomass, Heat and Electricity" and for "Renewables / % in electricity production: Renewables, non-renewables".[4]
The table lists worldwide PE and the countries producing most (76%) of that in 2021, using Enerdata. The amounts are rounded and given in million tonnes of oil equivalent per year (1 Mtoe = 11.63 TWh (3.23 megajoules), where 1 TWh = 109 kWh) and % of Total. Renewable is Biomass plus Heat plus renewable percentage of Electricity production (hydro, wind, solar). Nuclear is nonrenewable percentage of Electricity production. The above-mentioned underestimation of hydro, wind and solar energy, compared to nuclear and fossil energy, applies also to Enerdata.
The 2021 world total energy production of 14,800 MToe corresponds to a little over 172 PWh / year, or about 19.6 TW of power generation.
Energy resources must be processed in order to make it suitable for final consumption. For example, there may be various impurities in raw coal mined or raw natural gas that was produced from an oil well that may make it unsuitable to be burned in a power plant.
Primary energy is converted in many ways to energy carriers, also known as secondary energy:[19]
Electricity generators are driven by steam or gas turbines in a thermal plant, or water turbines in a hydropower station, or wind turbines, usually in a wind farm. The invention of the solar cell in 1954 started electricity generation by solar panels, connected to a power inverter. Mass production of panels around the year 2000 made this economic.
Availability of data[edit]
Many countries publish statistics on the energy supply and consumption of either their own country, of other countries of interest, or of all countries combined in one chart. One of the largest organizations in this field, the International Energy Agency (IEA), sells yearly comprehensive energy data which makes this data paywalled and difficult to access for internet users.[24] The organization Enerdata on the other hand publishes a free Yearbook, making the data more accessible.[4] Another trustworthy organization that provides accurate energy data, mainly referring to the USA, is the U.S. Energy Information Administration.