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The coal power sector in India will remain to be the dominant source of electricity generation until 2040 and will require a regular water supply, which is already in a stressful condition. This work focuses on the regional assessment of water withdrawal and consumption of water by coal power sector at three broad stages including fuel extraction, fuel preparation and power generation. Analysis established the Specific Water Consumption for each process and reveals that 99% of the total water supply to the sector was withdrawn by power plants.
Further, the study assessed the present and future water stress in three different watersheds located in different climatic settings of the country. The results highlight that Mahi watershed is most water stressed due to high water demand in agriculture sector followed by Rihand and Pench. This situation creates a water-scarce situation for water-guzzling power plants that are dependent on surface water and faces the competitive situation with the agriculture and domestic sector. The study further evaluates the water saving technology based on technology performance and cost effectiveness through expert opinion and incorporates the water neutral approach to reduce the water footprints of power plants reasonably possible. Results indicate that the retrofitting technologies at the power plants could be helpful to reduce the total water demand of power plants in selected watersheds to 12% in Pench, 13% in Rihand and 25% in Mahi watershed which can reduce the severity of regional water stress. Further, implementation of MIS system in land under wheat cultivation can make power plants water neutral especially in Mahi and Pench watersheds. To make Rihand watershed as water neutral, additional measures are required to be taken, 30000-hectare land need to be brought under rainwater harvesting or other water conservation measures.
This study significantly aids policymakers to identify the region which is more vulnerable in terms of water demand and also fulfills the need for quality data availability at a regional scale that may be used in the future towards sustainable water-resources management practices for long term energy generation scenarios.
Keywords: Fuel extraction, Coal power generation, Water demand, Water availability, Water Stress, Technology evaluation, water neutrality.
