Estimating freshwater needs to meet future thermoelectric generation requirements: A DOE/NETL assessment

ENVR 191

Thomas J. Feeley III, thomas.feeley@netl.doe.gov1, Erik Shuster, erik.shuster@netl.doe.gov1, and James Murphy, james.murphy@sa.netl.doe.gov2. (1) National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, (2) Science Applications International Corporation, PO Box 10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is engaged in a research and development (R&D) program to reduce freshwater withdrawal and consumption from thermoelectric power generating facilities. DOE/NETL has estimated national and regional freshwater requirements for U.S. thermoelectric power generation over the period 2005 through 2030 for five cases representing the use of different types of cooling water systems, as well as three scenarios representing the potential impact of the deployment of carbon capture technologies. On a national basis, water withdrawal is expected to decline in four of the five cases (ranging from a 6.0% increase to a 21.2% decrease), and water consumption is expected to increase in all five cases (ranging from 28.4% to 49.5% increase). The deployment of carbon capture technologies is expected to result in a slight percentage increase in freshwater withdrawal, but a more significant percentage increase in freshwater consumption.
 

Understanding the Water Footprint of Energy Production from Conventional and Alternative Sources
1:30 PM-4:50 PM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Rm. 236, Oral

Division of Environmental Chemistry

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008