7.2 Energy sources — uses and managementIB Environmental Systems and Societies HL: Subtopic test

1. 1
   Germany's Energiewende ('energy transition') aims to replace fossil fuels and nuclear power with renewable energy. Before 2022 Germany bought more than half of its natural gas from Russia. After supplies were cut in 2022 it had to find new suppliers quickly, including building terminals to import liquefied natural gas by ship. Germany shut down its last three nuclear reactors in April 2023.

   (a)

   Which statement best defines energy security for a country?

   [1 mark]

   • AHaving the lowest possible energy consumption per person
   • BProducing all energy from renewable sources
   • CHaving access to affordable and reliable sources of energy
   • DOwning large reserves of fossil fuels

   (b)

   Which statement is supported by the information about Germany's energy choices?

   [1 mark]

   • APolitical relationships with supplier countries affect the security of imported energy
   • BGermany has abundant domestic reserves of natural gas
   • CGovernment policy has had no effect on Germany's energy choices
   • DEnergy choices are never influenced by political factors

   (c)

   Explain how Germany could improve its energy security.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 1: 4 marks

2. 2
   Lithium-ion batteries are used in large grid storage systems that hold electricity from solar and wind farms. Much of the world's lithium comes from brine under salt flats such as the Salar de Atacama in northern Chile, where brine is pumped to the surface into large evaporation ponds. The process uses large volumes of water in one of the driest places on Earth, and Indigenous Lickanantay communities nearby have raised concerns about water use and about consultation. Lithium refining and battery manufacture take place mainly in other countries, and cobalt for some battery types is mined mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

   (a)

   Why is large-scale energy storage needed when electricity is generated by wind and solar farms?

   [1 mark]

   • AWind and solar always produce more electricity than can ever be used
   • BWind and solar are non-renewable energy sources
   • CWind and solar farms cannot be connected to the electricity grid
   • DWind and solar output is intermittent and does not always match demand

   (b)

   Which statement about large-scale battery storage is correct?

   [1 mark]

   • AThey produce no emissions or pollution at any stage of their life cycle
   • BTheir mining, transport, processing and construction produce emissions and pollution
   • CThey remove the need to mine any raw materials
   • DThey remove all sociopolitical tension over resources

   (c)

   Explain two ways in which the production of batteries can cause sociopolitical tension.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 2: 4 marks

3. 3
   Median estimates of life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions for electricity generation, published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, are given in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour (g CO₂e/kWh). Coal: 820. Natural gas (combined cycle): 490. Solar photovoltaic (utility scale): 48. Nuclear: 12. Onshore wind: 11. Coal, oil and natural gas are finite reserves that formed over millions of years, while wind and solar energy are renewable but vary with the weather.

   (a)

   Calculate how many times greater the life-cycle emissions of coal are than those of nuclear power, to the nearest whole number, and state one reason why nuclear power is described as a low-carbon source.

   [3 marks]

   (b)

   Using the data, discuss how the sustainability of different energy sources varies.

   [4 marks]

   Total for question 3: 7 marks

4. 4
   France generates about two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear power, one of the highest shares in the world, and its electricity has low carbon emissions per kilowatt-hour compared with many countries. Uranium for the reactors is imported from countries including Niger, Kazakhstan and Canada. Long-lived radioactive waste is stored while a deep underground repository is planned. In 2022 corrosion problems and maintenance shut down many reactors at once, and France imported electricity for part of the year. The government plans to build new reactors and also to add offshore wind and solar farms. In 2022 it asked households and businesses to cut energy use by 10% over two winters.

   (a)

   Evaluate nuclear power as a source of electricity for France.

   [6 marks]

   (b)

   Discuss how energy conservation, energy efficiency and energy storage could contribute to France's energy choices as it adds more offshore wind and solar capacity.

   [6 marks]

   Total for question 4: 12 marks

End of questions