Energy Security

• Geopolitics of Energy - Globally:

  • As the energy industry globalised it has become increasingly political.
  • If a country depends on import energy, it is also dependent on political relationships with those other countries.
  • In some cases, this can be unproblematic but conflict can arise over the ownership of potential resources, which can lead to disruptions in energy supply.
• Geopolitics of Energy - Climate:

  • Climate change policies will reduce the strategic importance of fossil fuels as the world turns to cleaner, renewable energy supplies, which can lead to increasing energy security as countries no longer rely on imports of fossil fuels.
  • Oil and gas will continue to play a key role, although demand will shift from Europe/North America to rapidly industrialising East Asia.
• The South China Sea - Claims:

  • China - Claims most of the South China Sea through its 'nine-dash line'.
  • Vietnam - Claims the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands.
  • Philippines - Claims part of the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.
  • Malaysia - Claims part of the Spratly Islands.
  • Brunei - Claims a part of the South China Sea nearest to it, overlapping with a southern part of the Spratly Islands.
  • Taiwan - Claims almost the entire South China Sea, mirroring claims of China.
• The South China Sea - Conflict:

  • The conflict is subject to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
  • The South China Sea is strategically important due to its significant shipping lanes, where a large proportion of global maritime trade transits.
  • Several countries have militarised various islands, enhancing their military presence to bolster their claims.
• The South China Sea - Resource Importance:

  • The sea is rich in marine biodiversity, providing livelihoods for millions of people.
  • One of the busiest shipping lanes globally and connects the Pacific and Indian Oceans and facilitates trade between East Asia, South Asia, and the rest of the world.
  • Control over the sea allows countries to exert influence over trade routes and commerce.
  • Has substantial mineral resources that are essential for various industries.
• The South China Sea - Oil & Gas Resources:

  • The South China Sea is believed to have significant reserves of oil and natural gas.
  • Various estimates suggest that the sea could contain as much as 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
• The South China Sea - The EEZ:

  • An 'Exclusive Economic Zone' is an area of the ocean, generally extending 200 nautical miles beyond a nation's territorial sea, within which a coastal nation has jurisdiction over both living and nonliving resources.
• The South China Sea - The 9-Dash Line:

  • China's nine-dash line marks off nearly the entire sea as its own territory. despite an international tribunal invalidating the sweeping claim last year.
• The South China Sea - The Spratly Islands:

  • Possesses rich natural resources and fishing areas.
  • China has increased efforts to reclaim land in the South China Sea by physically increasing the size of islands or creating new islands altogether.
  • China has constructed ports, military installations, and airstrips - particularly in the Paracel and Spratly Islands, where it has twenty and seven outposts, respectively.
  • China has militarised Woody Island by deploying fighter jets, cruise missiles, and a radar system.
• Cooperation of the UK & Norway:

  • Their relationship is extending into renewables as well.
  • The countries are working together on developing wind energy technologies.
  • The two countries' networks will be connected by 2021 by an undersea cable.
  • Through this the UK will be able to import Norwegian renewable energy in the form of electricity from HEP.
• Shell - Overview:

  • Shell is an Anglo-Dutch transnational oil and gas company with headquarters in the Netherlands.
  • Shell is vertically integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry.
  • Exploration and production, using geological expertise.
  • Refining - 35 refineries.
  • Distribution - own fleet of oil tankers and lorries.
  • Petrochemicals.
  • Power generation and trading.
  • Investment in renewable energy sources.
• Shell - Global Operations:

  • Shell operates in over 70 countries.
  • Produces over 3.7 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.
  • Its main production activities are in South East Asia and in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, where it has been accused of damaging local communities and the environment.
  • Shell has invested in alternative, renewable sources of energy and has ambitions to become a large electricity supplier.
• Nuclear Waste:

  • Nuclear waste includes materials that are highly radioactive, emitting harmful ionizing radiation that can damage living tissue and DNA.
  • Some of these materials, such as plutonium-239, have half-lives of thousands of years, meaning they remain hazardous for long periods.
  • Managing such long-lived waste safely is a significant challenge.
• Nuclear Waste - Impacts:

  • Exposure to radioactive waste can cause serious health issues, including cancer, genetic mutations, and acute radiation sickness.
  • If not properly managed, nuclear waste can leak into the environment and contaminate soil, water, and air, leading to widespread environmental damage affecting plants, animals, and people who depend on these natural resources.
• Nuclear Waste - Storage & Disposal:

  • The storage, management, and disposal of nuclear waste involve high costs.
  • Constructing, maintaining, and monitoring secure storage facilities require significant investment, as does research and developing long-term disposal solutions.
  • There is often public opposition to local storage or disposal facilities due to safety concerns and the NIMBY syndrome. 
  • Additionally, the transport of nuclear waste to disposal sites can be controversial and require meticulous planning and security.
• Management of Nuclear Waste - On-Site Storage:

  • Initially, spent nuclear fuel is stored on-site at nuclear power plants, typically in pools of water that cool the fuel and provide radiation shielding.
• Management of Nuclear Waste - Dry Casking:

  • After cooling in pools for several years, the waste can be transferred to dry cask storage, which are large, sealed steel and concrete containers that provide shielding from radiation and are air-cooled.
  • These can also be located on-site or at independent storage facilities.
• Management of Nuclear Waste - Volume Reduction and Conditioning:

  • Before disposal, waste is often treated to reduce its volume and convert it into a form that is stable and suitable for disposal.
  • This may involve compacting, incineration, or encapsulation in concrete or glass.
  • A process known as vitrification is particularly used for high-level waste.
• Nuclear Waste - Transport:

  • Transporting nuclear waste to permanent disposal sites or interim storage facilities is done using specially designed, robust containers that are resistant to accidents and prevent the release of radioactive materials.
• Nuclear Waste - Disposal:

  • Low-level waste is often disposed of in near-surface facilities, which are sited at shallow depths where the site’s natural geological characteristics provide adequate isolation and protection.
  • Disposal in deep geological repositories - Facilities are located in stable geological formations typically several hundred meters underground, designed to contain and isolate the waste from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years or longer.
  • Drilling deep boreholes (up to 5,000 meters deep) to dispose of certain types of radioactive waste.
• Nuclear Waste - Recycling:

  • Countries like France and Japan reprocess spent nuclear fuel to extract usable materials such as uranium and plutonium, which can be recycled into new fuel.
  • This reduces the volume of high-level waste but involves complex technology and raises proliferation concerns.