DOE Estimates Future Water Needs for Thermoelectric Power Plants

December 11, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) released a 2007 update to its study, Estimating Freshwater Needs to Meet Future Thermoelectric Generation Requirements.

The updated analysis increases understanding of regional and national water needs and usage in the U.S. power industry and provides input for research and development aimed at water-use reduction, said DOE.

According to DOE, the 2007 report is a response to heightened concerns over atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The report examines the possibility that future policies to combat climate change may result in the addition of carbon capture technologies to many coal-fired power plants by 2030.

Since these technologies require additional water, the 2007 report includes case study scenarios that predict how much water may be needed by power plants when carbon capture technology is installed.

Water has become a pivotal issue in the U.S. since economic development hinges on the availability of freshwater, said DOE. Public water systems, agriculture, power generation and other industries all compete for limited regional water supplies.

Although the power industry is only responsible for around 3% of the freshwater consumed in the U.S., it accounts for nearly 40% of withdrawals said DOE. Construction of new power plants were shelved because water-use permits could not be obtained and insufficient supplies of water due to extended drought and population growth resulted in a reduction in plant output in several U.S. regions.

The 2007 report examines five separate future cases using the NETL Water Use Projections Model and projections for regional electricity demand and capacity from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2007. Like the 2006 report, the 2007 report predicts freshwater withdrawal and consumption by thermoelectric plants regionally and nationally, by decade, through 2030.

Four of the five cases presented in the 2007 report predict that, on a national basis, water withdrawals by the power industry will decrease. On average, water withdrawals by thermoelectric plants are projected to decline more than 3.5% said DOE. However, water consumption by thermoelectric plants is predicted to grow. By 2030, the average expected increase is 35.7%.

On a regional basis, U.S. water withdrawal projections for thermoelectric plants range from a 42% increase in the Northwest, to a 24% decline in the Rocky Mountain and southwest desert region. Freshwater consumption will increase in all regions, showing the largest gains in areas where the population is expected to increase the most: New York, 396%; California, 274%; and Florida, 250%.

When carbon capture technologies are added to coal-fired power plants, water withdrawal nationally is projected to increase from 4.1 to 6.0 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d), with an average projected increase of water withdrawal of 7%. Water consumption is expected to rise from 2.2 to 4.3 Bgal/d. The average increase of water consumption from all cases with carbon capture is 90% said DOE.

NETL is working to reduce water usage by fossil fuel-fired power plants through their Innovations for Existing Plants program. The program goals are to enhance the efficiency and environmental performance of existing coal-fired power plants and to apply novel concepts to advanced power systems.

NETL recently joined with Sandia National Laboratories through a memorandum of understanding to advance research, development, demonstration and, ultimately, the commercialization of technologies to reduce freshwater usage related to thermoelectric power production while minimizing its impact on water quality.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy.