Life-cycle-based water footprint assessment of coal-fired power generation in China

Abstract

Water is essential for thermal energy and electricity generation. To help clarify water–energy interdependencies in China, a life-cycle water footprint evaluation framework was developed based on the product life-cycle concept and water footprint assessment methods to assess coal-fired power generation in China. The framework was applied to quantitatively analyze the virtual provincial water consumption by coal-fired power generation in China in 2016 and its impact on water quality. The results revealed a water footprint of ∼6.60 m3/MWhel, where the blue water footprint accounted for 24.8% and the grey water footprint accounted for 75.2% of the total. The coal-fired power generation industry in China is the main industrial water consumer, and its total water footprint in 2016 was 26.03 billion m3. Because coal transportation and electricity transmission are driven by spatial asynchrony in energy production and consumption, virtual water flowed from water-scarce Northwest China to water-rich East China. The total annual output of virtual water in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Northwest China was 498.2 million m3, representing 33% of the total regional blue water footprint. These findings can be used to improve understanding of the patterns in the energy industry and regional resources in China and to inform coordinated development of regional energy and water resource management.