The energy and water nexus in Chinese electricity production: A hybrid life cycle analysis

Abstract

13Between 2000 and 2010, China's electricity production had increased threefold and accounted 14 for 50% of domestic and 12% of global CO 2 emissions in 2010. Substantial changes in the 15 electricity fuel mix are urgently required to meet China's carbon intensity target of reducing CO 2 16 emissions by 40% -45% by 2020. Moreover, electricity production is the second largest 17 consumer of water in China, but water requirements vary significantly between different 18 electricity generation technologies. By integrating process-based life-cycle analysis (LCA) and 19 2 input-output analysis (IOA) and through tracking national supply chains, we have provided a 20 detailed account of total life-cycle carbon emissions (in g/kWh) and water consumption (in 21 liter/kWh) for eight electricity generation technologies -(pulverized) coal, gas, oil, hydro, 22 nuclear, wind, solar photovoltaic, and biomass. We have demonstrated that a shift to low carbon 23 renewable electricity generation technologies, i.e. wind, could potentially save more than 79% 24 of total life-cycle CO 2 emissions and more than 50% water consumption per kWh electricity 25 generation. Not only a reduction of coal use in China's electricity fuel mix canhelp mitigate 26 climate change, but it also alleviates water stress.

Measuring the environmental sustainability performance of global supply chains: A multi-regional input-output analysis for carbon, sulphur oxide and water footprints

“…At the product-level of the value chain, a bottom-up performance measurement approach offers benefits such as assessing carbon hot-spots and supply chain mapping (Koh et al 2013). However, it is somewhat limited due to the truncation error (Feng et al, 2014a) in addition to factors such as scaling up the value chain from the product-level and the ambiguity of how effective the impact of sectorial policies can be measured. We therefore propose to address some of these limitations by undertaking the environmental performance measurements from an industry-level perspective.…”

A 20 year forecast of water usage in electricity generation for South Africa amidst water scarce conditions

“…It is estimated that by 2025, more than 60% of the world's population will live in countries with significant imbalances between water requirements and supplies, largely in Asia, Africa, and Latin America [2]. Water imbalances have therefore led to increased attention to the allocation and utilisation of water within the water-energy nexus in these regions [3], [4], [5], [6].…”

Electricity portfolio innovation for energy security: The case of carbon constrained China

“…Firstly, is the water-energy nexus; the interrelation of water and energy as crucial components of each other's production. Chinese coal production is water intensive and this imposes productivity restrictions in a number of regions [112]. Conflict around water management is not limited to China's coal production but is a regular issue in exploiting high altitude water resources in the Western Provinces of the country [113] Secondly, the regional disparities in energy and emissions efficiency and the availability of natural and human resources produce a complex environment for energy policy discourse development.…”