Power Resources — Set 2

Correct Answer: B. Digboi

• **Digboi Refinery, Assam** = India's oldest oil refinery, established in 1901, and the oldest operating refinery in Asia. • **1901** — year Digboi refinery was commissioned after oil was discovered in the region in the late 19th century; Assam remains a major onshore oil producer. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Mathura: refinery set up in 1982, much newer; Haldia: refinery in West Bengal, established 1975; Barauni: Bihar refinery, established 1964 — all far newer than Digboi.

Correct Answer: B. Natural gas

• **Natural gas** = the commodity transported by the HBJ (Hazira–Vijaipur–Jagdishpur) pipeline, India's first cross-state gas pipeline. • **HBJ Pipeline** — connects gas fields in Gujarat to power and fertilizer plants in North India, vital for industrial development of interior regions. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Water: transported via canals and water grids, not HBJ; Crude oil: transported by separate pipelines like Mundra–Panipat; Petroleum products: transported via product pipelines, different from HBJ.

Correct Answer: D. Firewood

• **Firewood** = a conventional (traditional) energy source used for centuries, unlike modern renewables like solar or wind. • **50%+ rural dependence** — over half of rural India's energy for cooking still comes from firewood and cattle dung cake, both conventional and polluting sources. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Wind: a modern non-conventional renewable energy source; Geothermal: a non-conventional source, not traditionally used; Solar: a non-conventional source, harnessed with modern technology.

Correct Answer: A. Fast-flowing water

• **Falling/fast-flowing water** = the energy source for hydroelectric power; kinetic energy of water turns turbines connected to generators. • **Renewable and clean** — hydropower emits no greenhouse gases during operation; India has vast untapped potential especially in the Himalayan river systems. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Harnessing sunlight: that is solar photovoltaic or solar thermal, not hydro; Splitting atoms: that is nuclear fission, entirely different process; Burning coal: that is thermal power, not hydroelectric.

Correct Answer: A. Maharashtra

• **Maharashtra** = the state where India's first nuclear power plant, Tarapur Atomic Power Station, is located. • **1969** — year Tarapur was commissioned with US technical assistance; nuclear energy currently contributes about 3% of India's total electricity generation. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Gujarat: has Kakrapar and Narora nearby but Tarapur is in Maharashtra; Uttar Pradesh: has Narora Atomic Power Station, not Tarapur; Karnataka: has Kaiga Nuclear Power Station, not Tarapur.

Correct Answer: C. Tidal energy

• **Tidal energy** = electricity generated by harnessing the kinetic and potential energy of ocean tides as sea levels rise and fall. • **Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kutch** — India's best sites for tidal energy due to large tidal ranges; highly predictable since tides follow lunar cycles. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Wind energy: uses wind currents, not sea tides; Ocean Thermal energy: uses temperature difference between deep and surface sea water; Solar energy: uses sunlight, not tidal movement.

Correct Answer: B. Neyveli

• **Neyveli, Tamil Nadu** = home to India's largest lignite coalfield, mined in open-cast operations by Neyveli Lignite Corporation. • **Lignite characteristics** — brown color, high moisture content, low calorific value; used primarily in large thermal power stations nearby. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Jharia: largest bituminous coalfield in India (Jharkhand), not lignite; Raniganj: oldest coalfield in India (West Bengal), bituminous; Singrauli: major Gondwana coalfield in MP/UP, not lignite.

Correct Answer: D. Krishna-Godavari Basin

• **Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin** = India's largest and richest natural gas reserve, located off the east coast; discovery of KG-D6 block was a landmark. • **Mumbai High and Gulf of Khambhat** — other major natural gas sources; gas is critical for fertilizer and power industries across India. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Thar Desert: primarily a coal/mineral belt, no major gas reserves; Deccan Plateau: no significant hydrocarbon deposits; Malabar Coast: known for spices and fishing, not natural gas reserves.

Correct Answer: C. China

• **China** = world's largest producer of hydroelectricity, home to the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest power station by installed capacity. • **Three Gorges Dam** — on the Yangtze River in China, with 22,500 MW installed capacity; Brazil (Itaipu) and Canada follow as major producers. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Canada: third-largest hydro producer globally, not first; Brazil: second-largest, home to Itaipu Dam; USA: has major dams like Hoover, but China surpassed all in hydro generation.

Correct Answer: B. Silicon

• **Silicon** = the semiconductor material used to make photovoltaic (PV) solar cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity. • **Photoelectric effect** — when photons hit silicon, electrons are released creating electric current; advances in silicon technology have drastically cut solar costs. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Iron: a metal used in construction, not a semiconductor for PV cells; Aluminum: used for solar panel frames, not the active PV cell material; Copper: used in wiring to carry solar electricity, not in making the PV cell itself.