Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
100%
90%
nuclear power
development 1:
climate protection
80%
70%
fossil
fuels
development 2:
depletion of
all reserves
60%
50%
40%
modern
renewable
energy supply
traditional
renewable
energy suppy
30%
20%
10%
0%
year
Figure 4.1
Development of the share of different energy sources in world primary energy
demand and two future development possibilities.
In reality, enormous quantities of carbon dioxide could be saved if old ailing and
poorly performing power plants were replaced with ultra-modern ones. Whereas old
brown coal plants usually reached an effi ciency of less than 40% in electricity pro-
duction, new plants can easily reach 43%. Technically, effi ciency of 48 to 50% is
possible.
For example, with an effi ciency of around 35%, the Jänschwalde power plant near
Cottbus in Germany is one the oldest and most ineffi cient large power plants in
eastern Germany (Figure 4.2). With an output of about 25 tons of carbon dioxide
per year, this plant alone produces about 3% of all carbon dioxide emissions caused
by energy use in Germany.
Figure 4.2
Jänschwalde brown coal power plant and opencast mining near Cottbus.
