Very Short Question and Answers - Conventional Energy Resources

Conventional energy resources are those that have been used for a long time and are non-renewable (limited). They include coal, petroleum, natural gas, and electricity generated mainly from these resources.

Major coalfields are located in the eastern and central India, especially in the Damodar Valley (Jharkhand and West Bengal) including Jharia, Raniganj, Bardhaman, Dhanbad, and Bokaro; also in Chhattisgarh and Odisha with coalfields like Korba, Raigarh, Talcher, Singrauli, and Hasdeo; other locations include Wardha valley (Maharashtra), Godavari valley (Telangana & Andhra Pradesh), and Neyveli (Tamil Nadu).

Coal is mainly used as a fuel for thermal power plants to generate electricity, supplying around 70%+ of India’s electricity. It is also used in the steel industry, cement and brick kilns, industrial boilers, and sometimes for domestic heating.

Burning coal emits CO2, SO2, NOx and particulate matter causing air pollution, acid rain, and climate change. Open-cast mining leads to deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and topsoil erosion. Mine fires (like in Jharia) cause displacement and release toxic gases, while coal transport and use cause heavy air pollution in areas like Singrauli.

Jharia coalfield is known for its underground coal fires that have been burning for decades, causing displacement of people, loss of homes, release of toxic gases, and land subsidence.

Oil was first discovered at Digboi in Assam.

Major oil fields include Digboi, Naharkatiya, and Lakwa in Assam; Ankleshwar, Mehsana, and Gandhar in Gujarat; Mumbai High off the coast of Mumbai; and platforms in the Krishna-Godavari and Cauvery basins.

Petroleum is mainly used as transport fuels such as petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, and as feedstock for petrochemicals like plastics, fertilizers, synthetic fibers, detergents, and lubricants.

Problems include oil spills causing marine pollution, air pollution from burning petroleum products, displacement of local communities, risk of accidents and fires on rigs, and import dependence affecting energy security.

Natural gas is found in western offshore fields such as the Mumbai High complex, Gujarat's Cambay basin, Krishna-Godavari basin offshore Andhra, and parts of Assam.

Natural gas is used for electricity generation in gas-based power plants and as feedstock in fertilizer production (urea). It is also used as a cleaner domestic fuel (piped natural gas) and as transport fuel in the form of CNG.

Challenges include limited proven reserves, costly pipeline infrastructure, dangers of leaks and explosions, environmental risks from offshore drilling, and price volatility especially due to LNG imports.

Electricity in India is mainly generated from thermal (coal-based) plants, hydro-electric power plants, and nuclear power stations.

Coal-based thermal power plants produce the largest share of India's electricity, historically supplying around 70% or more, with major plants in Vindhyachal, Korba, and Singrauli.

Problems include high transmission and distribution losses due to theft and old infrastructure, uneven supply causing frequent power cuts, environmental and social costs of large hydro projects, and aging infrastructure requiring modernization.

The National Grid connects regional grids (Northern, Eastern, Western, Southern, and North Eastern), enabling power transfer across regions to balance supply and demand.

CNG is used as a cleaner transport fuel in buses and cars, especially in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru, reducing urban air pollution.

Measures include increasing renewable energy capacity, expanding city gas distribution, setting up strategic petroleum reserves, enforcing pollution control norms, and opening energy sectors to private and foreign investment.

Coking coal (metallurgical coal) is used in blast furnaces to produce steel, making coal an essential raw material in steel manufacturing centers like Bokaro, Durgapur, and Jamshedpur.

Important coalfields: Jharia (Jharkhand), Raniganj (West Bengal), Korba (Chhattisgarh), Singrauli, Talcher, Neyveli. Petroleum fields: Digboi (Assam), Ankleshwar/Mehsana (Gujarat), Mumbai High, KG Basin. Natural gas: Mumbai High, Cambay Basin (Gujarat), KG Basin, Assam.