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Water for Energy Water for Energy Executive Summary World Energy Council Water for Energy Officers of the World Energy Council Water for Energy - Executive Summary World Energy Council Pierre Gadonneix Chair Copyright © 2010 World Energy Council Francisco Barnés de Castro Vice Chair, North America All rights reserved. All or part of this publication may be used or Norberto Franco de Medeiros reproduced as long as the following citation is included on each Vice Chair, Latin America/Caribbean copy or transmission: ‘Used by permission of the World Energy Council, London, www.worldenergy.org’ Richard Drouin Vice Chair, Montréal Congress 2010 Published 2010 by: C.P. Jain World Energy Council Chair, Studies Committee Regency House 1-4 Warwick Street London W1B 5LT United Kingdom Younghoon David Kim Vice Chair, Asia Pacific & South Asia ISBN: 978-0-946121-10-6 Jorge Ferioli Chair, Programme Committee Marie-José Nadeau Vice Chair, Communications & Outreach Committee Abubakar Sambo Vice Chair, Africa Johannes Teyssen Vice Chair, Europe Abbas Ali Naqi Vice Chair, Special Responsibility for Middle East & Gulf States Graham Ward, CBE Vice Chair, Finance Zhang Guobao Vice Chair, Asia Christoph Frei Secretary General World Energy Council Water for Energy 1 In recent decades, the combination of more users, with more uses of water has transformed the traditional water-energy ‘ladder’ that underpins all human, social and economic development into an ‘escalator’. Human civilization has always rested on access to complex vulnerability of the energy system—and water, and, more specifically, on its utilization. This vice versa. report aims to contribute to a better understanding of the critical linkages between water and energy— In addition, human-induced climate change is and the impact on both of climate change. It understood to be a key driver for change in energy identifies areas of opportunity where investment and water availability, allocation, production and and new regulations are needed, to ensure consumption. This carries significant implications sustainable global development. for managing water and energy security challenges. Climate change impacts will likely Growth, scarcity and stress exacerbate water stress in many countries, cities and communities, creating the prospect of greater Freshwater supplies are unevenly allocated across competition between different uses, as well as the globe and, at the same time, countries all over individual users of water. the world face water scarcity and water stress. Currently, the World Health Organization estimates With the threat of water scarcity and water stress, one-third of the Earth’s population lack the exacerbated by climate change, two challenges necessary quantities of water they need. have developed: Global population will continue to grow. The 1) Water for energy majority of growth will be in emerging and developing economies already experiencing water Water is needed throughout the energy sector. It is and energy security challenges. By 2050, the UN used in energy production and conversion, as well estimates that half the world’s population will live in as in other processes, such as the refining of nations that are short of water. Moving water to energy source products. The water requirements people and controlling supply will become even for producing different primary energy carriers vary; bigger issues in the years to come. there are significant differences between different types of electricity generation. However, freshwater Water is used in energy production and supply, is required for each step—energy extraction and and, in turn, energy is used for pumping, moving production, refining and processing, transportation and treating water. In recent decades, the and storage and electric power generation itself. combination of more users, with more uses of water has transformed the traditional water-energy 2) Energy for water ‘ladder’ that underpins all human, social and economic development into an ‘escalator’. As a Modern energy supplies have been harnessed to result, as the linkages between both energy and pump water from increasing deeper groundwater water systems have grown more complex and reserves and to divert whole rivers large distances. interdependent, water must be viewed as a With global population and global economic growth Water for Energy World Energy Council 2 Figure 1 Water for Energy, Energy for Water Source: Water, Energy and Climate Change, WBCSD, 2009 Water for Energy Extraction & Refining Hydropower Fuel Production Thermo electric (Ethanol, hydrogen) Cooling Wastewater Treatment Extraction & Transmission Energy Associated Drinking Water with Uses of Water Treatment Water for Energy set to continue, and a significant proportion of the 'water for energy' of the different regions, for the current human population lacking access to clean years 2020, 2035, and 2050. water supply and sewerage services, the ‘energy for water’ challenge has become a significant, By examining the growth of global population, global scale concern. changes in final energy consumption and water requirements needed to produce and generate the Current needs… necessary amounts of energy over the next decades, the report identifies: A situational analysis of the current ‘water for energy’ contexts sets out the water needs of Africa, i) the regions that suffer from water stress Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and/or water scarcity, or will do so soon; and North America in the context of their energy and production, water withdrawal, and population. The ii) those regions where total internal ‘water footprint’ (the amount of water consumed to renewable water resources seem to be produce a unit of energy) of different methods of sufficient to meet requirements of water for fuel production shows how water consumption for energy, without competing with other basic operations making primary energy carriers water uses. available vary from fuel to fuel. Analyses explore the water needs of a range of energy processes, In light of these developments, the report highlights including crude oil, natural gas, coal, uranium, and the impact in terms of water savings of: biomass. Studies of the water requirements of the respective processes for generating electricity i) new technologies in processing primary show the water needs of different thermoelectric- energy, especially in thermal electricity generating technologies, and geothermal power- generation, and generating plants, as well as electricity from hydro, wind and solar. ii) increased use of renewable energy and improved energy efficiency. …and future projections Although oil presently accounts for as much as The data for current needs, along with the WEC's 34% of the global primary production, and scenario data from 2007 (updated 2009), provides decreasing to 22% by 2050, it accounts for only a basis for identifying the future requirements of 10% of water consumption in primary energy World Energy Council Water for Energy 3 Table 1 Development of population, energy consumption, and water for energy between 2005 and 2050 based on WEC Scenarios, 2007 (model updated in 2009); DOE/NETL, 2008; UNESCO-IHE, 2008; Gleick, 1994. World 2005 2020 2035 2050 Population (million) 6290.0 7842.3 8601.1 9439.0 Energy Consumption (EJ) 328.7 400.4 464.9 518.8 Energy Consumption (GJ/capita) 52.3 51.1 54.1 55.0 Water for energy (bill m³/year) 1815.6 1986.4 2087.8 2020.1 Water for energy (m³/capita) 288.6 253.3 242.7 214.0 production now, rising to 18% in 2050. This is which accounts for not even 10% of total primary mainly due to the increasing share of non- energy production. This relationship will change conventional oil in total oil production, from 1% now over time. In 40 years, the share of freshwater to 12% in 2050 and its higher water consumption. used to produce biomass will decrease to less than 80%, while at the same time the share of biomass While oil production over the next 40 years will rise in the total primary energy production will diminish rather slowly, natural gas production worldwide will to less than 5%. almost double, with the biggest increases in Asia, mainly in the Middle East, where it will almost triple Water consumption to generate electricity will more and North America, where it will double. Energy than double over the next 40 years. Whereas from coal production is presently below oil but will today, electricity generation per capita is on likely become higher over the next 30-40 years average 2.9 MWh/capita annually, ranging from (WEC Scenarios, 2007, model updated in 2009). 0.6 MWh/capita in Africa to 12.0 MWh/capita in Mining and refining coal, where refining includes North America, in 2050 the annual electricity washing and beneficiation, requires water at generation per capita will almost double to an various stages as well. Estimates show that average of 5.7 MWh/capita, ranging from approximately 0.164 m³ of water is needed per GJ. 2.0 MWh/capita in Africa to 17.3 MWh/capita in Overall the production of coal accounts for about North America. The highest increases will occur in 1% of total water consumption in energy Latin America, where electricity generation per production. capita will be four times higher than today, followed by Africa and Asia, where it will almost triple. In Uranium production presently accounts for Europe electricity generation per capita will approximately 6% of worldwide primary energy presumably double, whereas in North America it production and will rise to 9% over the next will increase by only 50%. Although worldwide 40 years, with the main producers being in Asia, electricity generation per capita will almost double, Europe and North America. Africa and South the amount of water consumed to generate America account for only 1% of the global uranium electricity is due to expected technology production. Mining, milling as well as the improvements and shifts, likely to stay at the same conversion and processing of uranium requires level or increase only slightly on a per capita basis less water per energy unit than anything else.
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