Water for electricity in India: A multi-model study of future challenges and linkages to climate change mitigation

Srinivasan, Shweta; Kholod, Nazar; Chaturvedi, Vaibhav; Ghosh, Probal Pratap; Mathur, Ritu; Clarke, Leon; Evans, Meredydd; Hejazi, Mohamad; Kanudia, Amit; Koti, Poonam Nagar; Liu, Bo; Parikh, Kirit S.; Ali, Mohd. Sahil; Sharma, Kabir

doi:10.1016/J.APENERGY.2017.04.079

Water for electricity in India: A multi-model study of future challenges and linkages to climate change mitigation

Journal Article · Fri May 05 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Applied Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.APENERGY.2017.04.079· OSTI ID:1364388

Srinivasan, Shweta ^[1]; ^[2]; Chaturvedi, Vaibhav ^[3]; Ghosh, Probal Pratap ^[4]; Mathur, Ritu ^[5]; Clarke, Leon ^[2]; Evans, Meredydd ^[2]; Hejazi, Mohamad ^[2]; Kanudia, Amit ^[1]; Koti, Poonam Nagar ^[3]; Liu, Bo ^[2]; Parikh, Kirit S. ^[4]; Ali, Mohd. Sahil ^[1]; Sharma, Kabir ^[5]

Centre for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy, Bangalore (India)
Joint Global Change Research Inst., College Park, MD (United States)
Council on Energy, Environment and Water, New Delhi (India)
Integrated Research and Action for Development, New Delhi (India)
The Energy and Resources Inst., New Delhi (India)

This paper provides projections of water withdrawals and consumption for electricity generation in India through 2050. Based on the results from five energy-economic modeling teams, the paper explores the implications of economic growth, power plant cooling policies, and electricity CO₂ emissions reductions on water withdrawals and consumption. To understand how different modeling approaches derive different results for energy-water interactions, the five teams used harmonized assumptions regarding economic and population growth, the distribution of power plants by cooling technologies, and withdrawals and consumption intensities. The multi-model study provides robust results regarding the different but potentially complementary implications of cooling technology policies and efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions. The water implications of CO₂ emissions reductions depend critically on the approach to these reductions. Focusing on wind and solar power reduces consumption and withdrawals, a focus on nuclear power increases both, and a focus on hydroelectric power could increase consumptive losses through evaporation. Policies focused specifically on cooling water can have substantial and complementary impacts.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 1364388

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1417436
OSTI ID: 1550029
OSTI ID: 22764682

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA--122615; PII: S0306261917304725

Journal Information:: Applied Energy, Journal Name: Applied Energy Vol. 210; ISSN 0306-2619

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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