14 DAY TRIAL // This coming March 22 marks World Water Day. In preparation for this event, the International Energy Agency has pieced together a report detailing how the power industry affects global water resources.
The report is set to be released in its entirety on said date. However, the Agency has been courteous enough to offer the public a glimpse into the findings of its investigation regarding the water consumption of the energy sector.
On its website, the organization explains that, according to data at hand, the energy sector currently accounts for about 15% of the world's overall water usage.
Specialists working with the International Energy Agency explain that this is because water is needed in order to extract, transport, and process fossil fuels.
The biofuels industry is argued to also put a strain on the world's water resources, due to the fact that the crops that support this branch need be irrigated on a regular basis.
Still, it would appear that fossil-fuel-based and nuclear power plants are, for the time being at least, the kings and queens of water consumption.
The Agency says that, because of this, it could happen that the energy sector will become less reliable as the world's population and the economy continue to develop in the years to come, and climate change progresses.
It goes on to argue that, all things considered, a so-called water-constrained future will surely affect costs associated with the energy sector as well.
By comparison, clean energy sources, especially wind and polar, are argued not to be major contributors to the water usage associated with the energy sector.
The Agency's report says that, in 2010, global water withdrawals for energy production amounted to 583 billion cubic meters. Of these, 66 billion cubic meters comprised water consumption, i.e. water withdrawn and not returned to its source.
It is estimated that, by the year 2035, withdrawal could up by about 20%, when compared to its 2010 value. Consumption, on the other hand, could increase by as much as 85%, when compared to the same baseline.
“Water availability is a growing concern for energy, and assessing the energy sector’s use of water is important in an increasingly water-constrained world,” International Energy Agency Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven said in a statement.
Furthermore, “Since water and energy are essential resources, we need to find ways to ensure that use of one does not limit access to the other. As demand for both continues to increase, this will be a growing challenge and priority.”