INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENTS AND EMERGING ENGINEERING RESEARCH, VOL 3, ISSUE 03 92

ISSN 2347-4289

Water Pollution Through Energy Sector

Lata Tripathi, A.K.Mishra, Anil Kumar Dubey, C.B.Tripathi

Research Scholar, Rajiv Gandhi Prodyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal, MP, India-462033

Professor & Head, Chemistry Deptt., Rajiv Gandhi ProdyogikiVishwavidyalaya, Bhopal, MP, India-462033
Principal Scientist, Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, MP, India-462038
Senior Technical Officer, IGFRI, Jhansi, India-284003
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract: Energy and water are valuable resources and are to a large extent, interdependent. Water is an integral element of energy resource
development and utilization. It is used in energy-resource extraction, refining & processing and transportation. There are different sources of water
pollution in which energy sector play major role. Due to population growth and economic development, demand of energy is increasing continuously
which ultimately affected the quality of water. Depending on the water quality needs for particular applications, freshwater supplies can be augmented
with degraded or brackish water. Water quantities available for use are dependent on the water qualities needed for each use. In a present energy
scenario, consumption of water in the electric sector could grow substantially, though increased demand for water would provide an incentive for
technologies that reduce water use, thus dampening the increase in water use. Technologies are available that can reduce water use in the electric
sector, including alternative cooling for thermoelectric power plants, wind power, and solar photovoltaics, but cost and economics, among other factors,
have limited deployment of these technologies Meanwhile, climate concerns and declines in groundwater levels suggest that less freshwater, not more,
may be available in the future.

Keywords: Energy, water pollution, energy scenario, ground water

1. Introduction for proper sanitation, commercial services, and the

Water is an essential source of all living organism after air, production of commercial goods. Thus numerous types of
which is in plenty on the earth and covers about 70% of parties can become implicated in a water dispute. For
earth’s surface. The amount of water present on earth is example, corporate entities may pollute water resources
estimated at about 1.39 billion cubic kilometer, of which shared by a community, or governments may argue over
only about 2.5% is fresh water. The other part i.e. 97.5% is who gets access to a river used as an international or inter-
sea or brackish water unsuitable for human use [2]. The state boundary and due to overcome of water crisis there is
amount of fresh water available to humankind is about 0.29 a proposal of interlinking of different rivers. Water is used
to 0.49 % of total surface water therefore its treatment and for agriculture, drinking, industries, laundry, recreation and
recycling is very important [14]. With increased population fisheries from different sources like lakes, ponds, rivers and
and urbanization, our demand for freshwater and energy reservoirs. The industrial growth and consequent pollution
will continue to increase. International Energy Agency (IEA) let into the fresh water bodies to clean themselves has
estimates show that by 2035, global energy consumption affected by the sheer quantity of waste generated by ever
will increase by 35%. In developing Asia, water used for increasing population [6,20]. Water is also an integral part
energy production will increase from 157 billion cubic meter of electric-power generation. It is used directly in
(bcm) in 2010 to 230 billion cubic meter (bcm) by 2035. hydroelectric generation and is also used extensively for
This is a very steep increase. As a finite resource, water is cooling and emissions scrubbing in thermoelectric
a potentially binding constraint on enhancing energy generation. However, as population has increased, demand
security in the region. Unless it is strategically conserved for energy and water has grown. Competing demands for
and efficiently managed, increased use of energy leads to water supply are affecting the value and availability of the
increased emissions of greenhouse gases, which will resource [18].
accelerate the negative impacts of global climate change.
These impacts are primarily water-related, as evident from 2 Water Availability and Uses:
the growing frequency of extreme hydro-climate events, In India total availability of water from different resources
such as cyclones, floods, and droughts. These in turn have has been estimated to be about 1123 Billion Cubic Meter
adverse social, economic, and environmental (690 BCM from surface and 433 BCM from ground).About
consequences. Day to day the demand of electricity supply 85% (688 BCM) of water is used for irrigation (Figure 1),
and safe suitable water for drinking is going to be incises in which may increase to 1072 BCM by 2050. Major source for
India. Environmental conditions play an important role in the irrigation is groundwater. Annual groundwater recharge is
settlement, growth, distribution, reproduction and survival of about 433 BCM of which 212.5 BCM used for irrigation and
aquatic animals. It has a great impact on the life of 18.1 BCM for domestic and industrial use [1]. By 2025,
organisms with its different physical and chemical demand for domestic and industrial water usage may
properties [15]. Further, impacts resulting from global increase to 29.2 BCM. Thus water availability for irrigation
climate change have added a new dimension to is expected to reduce to 162.3 BCM. Due to increasing
management of emerging water crisis [11]. Elements of a population and increasing demand of water in energy
water crisis may put pressures on affected parties to obtain sector, the per capita average annual freshwater availability
more of a shared water resource, causing diplomatic has been reducing since 1951 from 5177 m3 to 1869 m3, in
tension or outright conflict.11% of the global population, or 2001 and 1588 m3, in 2010. It is expected to further reduce
783 million people, are still without access to improved to 1341 m3 in 2025 and 1140 m3 in 2050. [10]. Hence, it is
sources of drinking water, which provides the catalyst for necessary to search the effective treatment option to
potential for water disputes. Besides life, water is necessary enhanced water use efficiency and waste water recycling.

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1200
3.1. In Thermal Power Plants
Water demand in Billion Cubic

1000 The current installed capacity of thermal power plants

(including coal, nuclear, oil/diesel) till November 2014
800 stands at around 177741.89 MW its share in electricity
Years generation is 69.5% [7].The water requirements for a coal-
Meter

600 based power plant is about 0.005-0.18 m3/kWh. At STPS,

2010 the water requirement has been marginally reduced from
400
about 0.18 m3/kWh to 0.15 m3/kWh after the installation of a
200 2025 treatment facility for the ash pond decant. Still the water
requirement of 0.15 m3/kWh per Unit of electricity is very
2050
0 high compared to the domestic requirement of water of a
big city. The high ash content in India's coal affects the
thermal power plant's potential emissions. Ash from power
plants directly affects the irrigation land and water sources
of nearby area [17].
water uses in different sectors
3.2 In Nuclear Energy
Figure 1: Projected water demand by different sectors Water for a nuclear power plant can be sourced from a
(CWC, 2010)5 river, lake, dam, or the ocean. The water has two uses - it is
converted to steam to drive a turbine, and cooling water
Water demand is continuously increasing in different sector. converts the steam back to water. Nuclear power plants
For irrigation and drinking purpose water demand is consume large amounts of water – typically 13-24 billion
increasing 1.2-1.4 folds whereas in industries it increases 2- litres per year, or 35-65 million litres per day. Depending on
3 times but in energy sector its demand will be increasing 3- the cooling technology utilised, the water requirements for a
8 times in coming year due to continuously energy demand nuclear power station can vary between 20 to 83 per cent
and establishment of different power plants in country. more than for other power stations. A megawatt-hour
(MWh) of electricity from coal uses 20 to 270 litres of water
3. Water Requirement through Different at the coal mining stage and an additional 1,200 to 2,000
Energy Sources litres when the energy in the coal is converted to electricity,
Mostly energy requirement is fulfilled by thermal power totalling 1,220 to 2,270 litres of water consumed per MWh.
plant, nuclear power plant and renewable energy based In comparison, nuclear energy uses 170 to 570 litres of
power plant. According to CEA report November 2014 [7], water per MWh during the mining of uranium and
total installed capacity of power plant in the country stands production of the reactor fuel and an additional 2,700 litres
at 255.01 GW in which, Thermal power accounts for 69.5 per MWh as the energy from nuclear fission is converted to
%, Renewable energy accounts for 12.5% Nuclear 2% and electricity, for a total of 2,870 to 3,270 litres of water
hydro holds a 16% percent share therefore thermal power consumed per MWh [19].
plant play major contribution in water pollution. Thermal
power plants that run on coal and other fossil fuels 3.3 In Renewable Energy
introduce a myriad of chemicals for maintenance or Wind, hydro, solar, and biomass are the main sources of
operational purposes, and through combustion, liberate renewable energy. Water requirements for renewable
other chemicals from the fuel that wind up in the power electricity generating technologies range from negligible to
plant's discharge. Nuclear power plants consume even comparable with thermal generation using wet tower
more water than fossil fuel facilities because of the cooling. Non-thermal renewables, such as wind and solar
additional cooling requirements of reactor cores and can photovoltaic (PV) may use very small amounts of water,
have major impacts on marine environments. By contrast, such as for cleaning or panel washing. Concentrating solar
Many renewable energy technologies such as wind and thermal plants (CSP), like all thermal electric plants,
solar photovoltaic technology produce electricity without require water for cooling. Water use depends on the
generating any waste effluent released into waterways or plant design, plant location, and the type of cooling
without relying upon any cooling water. system.CSP plants that use wet-recirculating technology
with cooling towers withdraw between 600 and 650
Water consumption of different energy sources: (litres gallons of water per megawatt-hour of electricity
per kilowatt-hour of electrical output) produced. Dry-cooling technology can reduce water use
at CSP plants by approximately 90 percent [13].
Water consumption in litres per
Hydropower is a major water user, relying on water passing
Sources through turbines to generate electricity. Water is consumed
kilowatt-hour of electrical output
Nuclear 2.5 via seepage and evaporation from the reservoir created for
Coal 1.9 hydropower facilities. Factors determining the amount
Oil 1.6 consumed – climate, reservoir design and allocations to
Combined Cycle Gas 0.95 other uses – are highly site-specific and variable[16].
Solar PV 0.11 Biomass power plants and coal power plants require
Wind 0.004 approximately the same amount of water for cooling,
Source:http://www.foe.org.au/sites/default/files/Water-NP-2xA4-
amount of water withdrawals and consumption depends
2013.pdf[9]

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on cooling facility’s technology. For biomass power 4. Interlinking between Water and Energy
plants, water withdrawals range for cooling between Water is required to produce nearly all forms of energy. For
20,000 and 50,000 gallons per megawatt-hour with primary fuels, water is used in resource extraction, irrigation
consumption of 300 gallons per megawatt-hour. Biomass of biofuels feedstock crops, fuel refining and processing,
facilities that use wet-recirculating cooling systems— and transport. In power generation, water provides cooling
which reuse cooling water in a second cycle rather than and other process-related needs at thermal power plants;
immediately discharging it—withdraw between 500 and hydropower facilities harness its movement for electricity
900 gallons per megawatt-hour and consume production [18]. The use of water in these energy sectors
approximately 480 gallons per megawatt-hour [12]. adversely affects the quality of water by contamination. Use
of water in different energy sector for different purpose and
its effect on water quality is shown in table 2.

Table-2 Key uses of water for energy and potential water quality impacts [18]

Primary energy production Uses Potential water quality impact

 Drilling, well completion and
hydraulic fracturing
 Injection into the reservoir in
Contamination by tailings seepage,
secondary and enhanced oil
Oil and gas fracturing fluids, flow back or produced
recovery.
water (surface and groundwater)
 Oil sands mining and in-situ
recovery.
 Upgrading and refining into products
 Cutting and dust suppression in
mining and hauling.
Contamination by tailings seepage, mine
 Washing to improve coal quality.
Coal drainage or produced water (surface and
 Re-vegetation of surface mines.
groundwater).
 Long-distance transport via coal
slurry.
 Contamination by runoff containing
 Irrigation for feedstock crop growth.
fertilisers, pesticides and sediments
Biofuels  Wet milling, washing and cooling in
(surface and groundwater).
the fuel conversion process.
 Wastewater produced by refining.
Thermal pollution by cooling water
 Boiler feed, i.e. the water used to discharge (surface water).Impact on
generate steam or hot water. aquatic ecosystems.
Thermal (fossil fuel,
 Cooling for steam-condensing. Air emissions that pollute water downwind
nuclear and bioenergy)
 Pollutant scrubbing using emissions- (surface water).Discharge of boiler blow
control equipment. down, i.e. boiler feed that contains
suspended solids
 System fluids or boiler feed, i.e. the
.Thermal pollution by cooling water
Concentrating solar power water used to generate steam or
discharge (surface water).
and geothermal hot water.
Impact on aquatic ecosystems
 Cooling for steam-condensing
 Electricity generation.
 Alteration of water temperatures, flow
 Storage in a reservoir (for operating
Hydropower volume/timing and aquatic ecosystems.
hydro-electric dams or energy
 Evaporative losses from the reservoir
storage).

5. Effects of Power Plant Effluents drinking water supplies and damage vital human organs
Energy is one of the major inputs for the economic and the nervous system. One study found that one out of
development of any country. In the case of the developing every 100 children who drink groundwater contaminated
countries like India, energy consumption has been with arsenic from coal power plant wastes were at risk of
increasing at a relatively fast rate due to population growth developing cancer. In the case of hydroelectric plants water
and economic development. Power plant also play major environment is affected due to the stagnation of water in the
role in water pollution. A typical 500-megawatt coal power reservoir. If the reservoir accumulates runoff from
plant creates more than 125,000 tons of ash and 193,000 agricultural fields, the water may contain high amounts of
tons of sludge from the smokestack scrubber each year. fertilizer and pesticide residues, which may accumulate in
Generally, more than 75% of this waste is disposed of in the reservoir. Major pollutants due to coal based power
unlined, unmonitored onsite landfills and surface generation include sulfur dioxide, carbon and nitrogen
impoundments. Toxic substances in the waste - including compounds, non-combustible hydrocarbons, heavy metals
arsenic, mercury, chromium, and cadmium can contaminate and fly ash [3].

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