Electricity generation in the world and Ukraine: Current status and future developments

Abstract

Electricity generation is the key factor for advances in industry, agriculture, technology and the level of living. Also, strong power industry with diverse energy sources is very important for country independence. In general, electricity can be generated from: 1) non-renewable energy sources such as coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear; and 2) renewable energy sources such as hydro, biomass, wind, geothermal, solar, and wave power. However, the major energy sources for electricity generation in the world are: 1) thermal power-primarily using coal (~40%) and secondarily natural gas (~23%); 2) "large" hydro power plants (~17%) and 3) nuclear power from various reactor designs (~11%). The rest of the energy sources for electricity generation is from using oil (~4%) and renewable sources such as biomass, wind, geothermal and solar (~5%), which have just visible impact in selected countries. In addition, energy sources, such as wind and solar, and some others, like tidal and wave-power, are intermittent from depending on Mother Nature. And cannot be used alone for industrial electricity generation. Nuclear power in Ukraine is the most important source of electricity generation in the country. Currently, Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) generate about 45.5% of the total electricity followed with coal generation-38%, gas generation 9.6% and the rest is based on renewable sources, mainly on hydro power plants-5.9%. Nuclear-power industry is based on four NPPs (15 Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) including the largest one in Europe-Zaporizhzhya NPP with about 6,000 MWel gross installed capacity. Two of these 15 reactors have been built and put into operation in 70-s, ten in 80-s, one in 90-s and just two in 2004. Therefore, based on an analysis of the world power reactors in terms of their maximum years of operation (currently, the oldest reactors are ~45-year old) several projections have been made for future of the nuclear-power industry in the world and Ukraine. Unfortunately, all these projections are quite pessimistic. There is a possibility that around 2030-2040 the vast majority of the world reactors and Ukrainian reactors will be shut down, and, in particular, Ukraine can be left without the basic and vital source of electricity generation..

Utilization of Crop Residue for Power Generation: The Case of Ukraine

“…Zvorykin et al [23] studied the status and future developments of electricity generation in Ukraine. The development of power generation and existing barriers were studied too [24].…”

Improvement of turbogenerators as a technical basis for ensuring the energy independence of Ukraine

“…Morally and physically obsolete electrical equipment of the power complex, outdated technological lines for the manufacture of new equipment, dependence on the export of both equipment and fuel resources, deficiencies in maintenance, diagnostics and repair have led to the fact that the power system of Ukraine has one of the largest losses of electricity in the «generation -transmissiondistribution -consumption» cycle, that raises the question of the country's energy security. For example, energy losses in distribution networks reach 25 % [5,21].…”

“…In addition, the economic crisis is causing significant changes in the strategic orientation of energy companies and investors, in the activity of energy consumers. The World Energy Prospects Program [3,12,21] contains two possible scenarios: optimistic (The Stated Policies Scenario, STEPS -a forward-looking policy scenario) and pessimistic (Delayed Recovery Scenario, DRS). According to STEPS forecast, global energy demand will recover to the level of the beginning of the pandemic by early 2023, but in the event of a protracted pandemic, an even larger decline is expected (according to DRS) and demand will only recover by 2025.…”

“…Also, when TGs with superconducting windings are used for WPPs, the production areas required for their installation will decrease, which are usually very significant. Thus, an offshore WPP SG 14-222 DD (power 14 MW, working diameter 222 m, length of one blade 108 m) requires the area of 39•10 3 m 2 [21,28,40]. (For comparison, the area of one NPP power unit with a 1000 MW generator and with a VVER-1000 reactor is about 9.1•10 3 m 2 ).…”

“…Balancing electricity consumption and maintaining the voltage frequency in the grid are the main technical problems in power systems with significant installed RES power. In Ukraine, according to the calculations of Ukrenergo, the maximum installed power of solar and wind power plants, which the unified energy system can accept without deviations in operation, is 3 GW [2,3,21].…”