Water footprint of thermal power in China: Implications from the high amount of industrial water use by plant infrastructure of coal-fired generation system

• Published in: Energy policy 2019-09, Vol.132, p.452-461
• Main Authors: Wu, X.D., Ji, Xi, Li, Chaohui, Xia, X.H., Chen, G.Q.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coal; Coal industry; Coal-fired power; Coal-fired power plants; Cooling; Cooling towers; Electric power generation; Electricity; Electricity generation; Energy policy; Footprint analysis; Freshwater plants; Induced; Industrial water; Industrial water use; Infrastructure; Input output analysis; Mining; Plant infrastructure; Policy making; Power plants; Process analysis; Systems process; Thermal power; Thermal power plants; Thermoelectricity; Transportation; Water; Water consumption; Water footprint; Water use
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2019.05.049

To reflect an important aspect of the water footprint of thermal power in China, this study as an extension of a previous work (Wu et al., 2018a) uncovers the high amount of industrial water use induced by plant infrastructure of a typical coal-fired power generation system. The systems process method is used by combining process analysis and water intensities obtained from systems input-output analysis. Industrial water use induced by plant infrastructure is accounted to be several times greater than previous estimates, and approximate to or much larger than that induced by fuel mining, preparation and transport in total. For per unit of electricity output, the water use by plant infrastructure amounts to 8.4% of the direct freshwater withdrawal for the majority of supercritical thermal power plants equipped with wet tower cooling, and even up to 38% of the freshwater withdrawal for some plants with air tower cooling. The annual water use induced by coal-fired power generation infrastructure in China is estimated to be 0.6%, 7%, and 23% of the annual freshwater withdrawal by China, Japan, and United Kingdom, respectively. The outcome provides a benchmark for policy makers to measure and curb the upstream water use by plant infrastructure. •The remarkable water footprint is revealed for coal-fired plant infrastructure.•A hybrid of process analysis and systems input-output analysis is used.•The industrial water use induced is several times greater than previous estimates.•The water use induced is comparable to the direct freshwater withdrawal.•Implications are clarified for effective policy-making on water conservation.