Energy in Kiravia

Peat-fired power plant in Intravia State. Kiravia is the leading consumer of peat as fuel, and the largest consumer of biomass fuel among developed nations.

Kiravia is the largest energy consumer in Ixnay and the leading energy importer. Although Kiravia is decently endowed with conventional energy resources, the vast energy demand generated by its large population, advanced economy, and cool climate greatly outstrip domestic supply. Maintaining a reliable energy supply and reasonable prices is a perennial policy concern at the federal level, and a great deal of public expenditure has been dedicated to energy subsidies, energy research, the development of domestic energy sources, and the upkeep of good trade relations with major energy-exporting countries, such as Cartadania and Arcerion.

Kiravia is a world leader in nuclear research (both civilian and military) and has invested extensively in the development of nuclear power to meet its staggering energy needs.

Major fossil fuel suppliers to the Kiravian market include Cartadania and other nations. The most plentiful domestic reserves of oil and gas are located in the Pelian Ocean, offshore from the Sydona Islands and Saxalin Islands, followed by the Albion Sea off of Atrassica and onshore oil shales in Devahoma and the Northwest Territory.

Peat is plentiful across many parts of Great Kirav, particularly the upper and upper-middle latitudes, where it is commonly used as a household fuel source, especially in rural areas. Kiravians traditionally harvested peat from nearby bogs themselves or purchased cut peat bricks or briquettes to be delivered to their homes, practices which continue today. There are also dozens of peat-fired power plants in Kiravia that feed into modern electrical power grids.

General Statistics

In 2030 AD, Kiravia consumed 29,325 TWh of electricity, 40,977 kWh per capita.

Conventional Energy

Baseload power is dependent on energy from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas (as well as peat, which is covered separately).

Coal

Kneaded coal dust briquette

Kiravia holds significant deposits of coal, both on the Kiravian mainland and in the overseas provinces and possessions. Historically, the Eastern Highlands coal veins were the most economically important, fuelling the Kiravian industrial revolution and the growth of modern cities such as Valēka, Eriadun, Primóra, and Saar-Raverdan along the eastern seaboard's fall line. Coal powered (and in large part, continues to power) the nation's railways, and the need to transport coal across long inland distances was the driving force behind the growth of the nation's rail network. At XY.ZZ% of production, coal remains a critically important energy source for Kiravia, despite losing significant ground to oil, gas, and nuclear energy. Most coal imports to Great Kirav come from Faneria and from the Colonies.

Inexpensive cylindrical coal briquettes are widely used as cooking fuel by households and commercial kitchens, particularly for simmering and boiling, which are the most common cooking techniques in Kiravian cuisine. In Second and Third Kirav, many households also rely upon briquettes (either coal, peat, biomass, or a combination thereof) for heating, as many houses and apartments date from the Kirosocialist period or before, and were built without gas lines. Consumer-ready briquettes are less common in First Kirav, where oil and gas heaters are more common, however, they see periodic revival when fuel prices run high, and remain a staple for low-income households due to their low price.

Oil

Onshore deposits of petroleum are found in South Kirav, Korlēdan, the Sydona Islands and Vortisia. Oil shale is plentiful in Devahoma, and offshore reserves of oil exist in the waters off of Sydona (first and foremost), the Saxalin Islands, and Atrassica. However, these reserves are not sufficient to meet Kiravia's staggering energy needs. As such, Kiravia imports oil from all over the world to fuel its power plants and motor vehicles. Its largest import partner is Cartadania.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is an increasingly important part of the Kiravian energy mix, as drilling technology improves to increase yields from unconventional gas plays and some degree of policy pressure builds to reduce coal consumption in favour of cleaner fuels. Kiravia's major import partners for natural gas are Arcerion, Cartadania, and a third country, the name of which remains elusive. The vast majority of natural gas consumed in Kiravia is transported by sea as liquefied natural gas at some point in its delivery journey, linking Kiravian energy market conditions very closely to events in the maritime industry.

Nuclear Energy

Valtiv Nuclear Power Station, Metrea

Kiravia has 70 operating nuclear reactors that generate just over 20% of the nation's electricity, making them the nation's largest non-conventional energy source.

Nuclear research was a high priority for both the Kiravian Union and Kiravian Remnant, but was of special importance to the Kiravian Union which, commercially isolated and in grave need of energy to fuel its state-driven economic development plans, invested very heavily in civil nuclear research and the construction of scores of nuclear power stations across its territory. Nuclear research and development has continued and intensified since reunification under the sponsorship of the Kiravian Energy Executive as a means to increase price stability and reduce import dependency. After a pause in new construction during the 1980s-1990s during which many existing plants were privatised, the installation and commissioning of new nuclear plants picked up again during the later 2000s thro' 2010s AD. More recent plants have moved away from the traditionally dominant Æ2VD series of light water reactors employed extensively by the Kiravian Union, and toward the KDU series of pressurised heavy water reactors.

Reactors

	Station	№	Type	Model	Capacity	Owner/Operator
	Pornokairan	3	LWGR	GPT-6	3 x 12 MW	Boreal Atomcraft ÁLO
	Vaıhoma	2	PWR	Æ2VD-1200	2 × 1,170 MW	South Niyaska Power MPC / Vertex Atomcraft
	Tarsovilok	4	PWR	Æ2VD-1200	4 × 1,170 MW	State of Kannur / Boreal Atomcraft
	Ergostroma	2	PWR	Æ2VD-1200	2 × 1,170 MW	State of Kannur / Boreal Atomcraft
	Upper Mungo	2	PWR	Æ2VD-1200	2 × 1,170 MW	State of Etivéra / Boreal Atomcraft
	Élívpelan	3	PWR	Æ2VD-1200	3 × 1,170 MW	State of Kaviska / Vertex Atomcraft ÁLO
	Dağrihoma	3	LWGR	TYMBK	3 × 925 MW	Boreal Atomcraft
	Valtiv	4	PHWR	KDU	4 × 647 MW	Equinox Systems
	Dolmensar	2	PWR	Æ2VD-1200	2 × 1,170 MW	Energodar Enterprises / Vertex Atomcraft
	Soursop Downs	3	PHWR	KDU	3 × 647 MW	State of Niyaska / Vertex Atomcraft
	Rivnēsar	3	PHWR	KDU	3 × 647 MW	FreshCoast Power & Light / Vertex Atomcraft
	Hūrikirtik	2	PWR	Æ2VD-1200	2 × 1,170 MW	Energodar Enterprises / Vertex Atomcraft
	Range №65	2	PWR	Æ2VD-1200	2 × 1,170 MW	Boreal Atomcraft
	Arminsuv	3	LWGR	GPT-6	3 x 12 MW	State of Fariva / Boreal Atomcraft ÁLO
	Śingaróra I	2	PWR	CPRF	2 × 965 MW	PH Electro SAK / Vertex Atomcraft
	Śingaróra II	3	PWR	OPR-1K	3 × 1000 MW	PH Electro SAK / Vertex Atomcraft
	Saponara	3	PWR	CPRF	3 × 965 MW	Energodar Enterprises / Vertex Atomcraft

Renewable Energy

Energy from renewable sources accounts for a small but growing share of the Kiravian Federacy's total energy production. Renewable enegry development has been encouraged, promoted, and subsidised by the authorities as a way to help stabilise energy prices, reduce dependency on imports, and (as a tertiary concern) increase sustainability. Although the renewable energy sector continues to grow, it has yet to seriously challenge the dominance of fossil fuels in the country's energy market.

Wind energy

Kiravians have been harnassing wind energy for many centuries through windmills. Wind turbines are now a fairly common sight across rural Kirav. Many individual farmsteads and hamlets have their own small wind turbines on site to generate power for internal use and even provide an additional revenue stream. Since the last oil shock, vertical axis wind turbines have become a common sight on Kiravian buildings.

A small wind turbine in Enscirya

Ocean energy

With its extensive coastlines, many islands, and vast territorial waters, Kiravia has been at the forefront of harnessing energy from waves and tides, aiming to diversify its energy sources and reduce dependency on imported fuels. Various projects and initiatives have been undertaken to tap into the vast potential of the surrounding seas, with PE Adheritus Ilkashvar's Blue Economy Initiative being the largest and most recent on the part of the federal government. Wave energy projects in Kiravian waters involve the extraction of energy from ocean waves, typically through the use of specialized devices such as oscillating water columns or floating-point wave energy converters. Tidal energy works that focus on harnessing the power generated by the rise and fall of tides have also been put into operation: Kiravian companies have deployed tidal stream generators that capture energy from tidal motions off the coasts of Harma, Hanoram, and Argévia.

Solar power

Solar power projects are not considered particularly advantageous in Great Kirav on account of its dismal climate. They are much more viable in Æonara and Sarolasta. A few settlement blocks in Æonara are entirely solar-powered.

Peat and Biomass

Wood gas generators are widely used in rural and inland Great Kirav to power vehicles and agricultural machinery. Wood gas was once ubiquitous as a motor fuel across the Kiravian Union, as the Union had great difficulty maintaining an adequate supply of petroleum under international sanctions and prioritised industrial enterprises, public utilities, and the military in its allocation of scarce fossil fuel resources. Wood and other biomass, meanwhile, were plentiful and could be harvested locally in most parts of the country, allowing users to minimise their dependency on the inefficient national distribution system. Wood gas remains a popular fuel choice today among small farmers and those living in more remote forested regions, as it insulates them from the financial impact of gasoline price spikes.