The River’s Light: Water Needs for Thermoelectric Power Generation in the Ebro River Basin, 1969–2015

Sesma-Martín, Diego

doi:10.3390/w11030441

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…It is apparent that the infrastructures of energy and water have to be designed and operated in a more integrated way [14]. Additionally, there are several cases from various countries where requirements for water by energy generation became an issue of serious social conflict [15]. While studying various cases of conflicts above water energy usage, scientific evidence shows that localized challenges for the water-energy nexus are diminished when considered from broader perspectives, while regionally important challenges are not prioritized locally [16].…”

Section: The Water Sectormentioning

confidence: 99%

Water–Energy Nexus: Addressing Stakeholder Preferences in Jordan

et al. 2020

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The water and energy sectors are fundamentally linked. In Jordan, especially in the face of a changing climate, the water–energy nexus holds a number of challenges but also opportunities. A key point in exploring synergies is the identification of such, as well as the communication between the water and energy sectors. This paper promotes the importance of using a co-creative approach to help resolve opposing views and assessing stakeholder preferences in the context of the water–energy nexus in Jordan. A computer-supported, co-creative approach was used to evaluate stakeholder preferences and opinions on criteria and future scenarios for the energy and water sector in Jordan, identifying common difficulties and possibilities. The criteria describe socio-ecological aspects as well as techno-economic aspects for both systems. Discussing a set of preliminary scenarios describing possible energy and water futures ranked under a set of sector relevant criteria, a consensus between both stakeholder groups is reached. The robustness of results is determined, using a second-order probabilistic approach. The results indicate that there are no fundamental conflicts between the energy and water stakeholder groups. Applying a participatory multi-stakeholder, multi-criteria framework to the energy-water nexus case in Jordan promotes a clear understanding of where different stakeholder groups stand. This understanding and agreement can form the basis of a joint water–energy nexus policy used in the continued negotiation process between and within national and international cooperation, as well as promoting and developing acceptable suggestions to solve complex problems for both sectors.

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Section: The Water Sectormentioning

confidence: 99%

Water–Energy Nexus: Addressing Stakeholder Preferences in Jordan

et al. 2020

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“…Although most of the research on flow effects is in the hydropower literature, the degradation of stream thermal habitat has also been quantified for thermoelectric powerplants. This is because thermoelectric powerplants are among the largest users of water in the US, similar in magnitude to irrigation [52]. Whereas the effects of algal facilities on aquatic biota are indirect and mediated by flow abstraction, coal-fired thermoelectric plants discharge heated effluents and therefore have direct impacts on thermal habitat [53].…”

Section: Implications For Stream Habitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avoiding Conflicts between Future Freshwater Algae Production and Water Scarcity in the United States at the Energy-Water Nexus

Jager

Efroymson

Baskaran

2019

Water

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Sustainable production of algae will depend on understanding trade-offs at the energy-water nexus. Algal biofuels promise to improve the environmental sustainability profile of renewable energy along most dimensions. In this assessment of potential US freshwater production, we assumed sustainable production along the carbon dimension by simulating placement of open ponds away from high-carbon-stock lands (forest, grassland, and wetland) and near sources of waste CO 2 . Along the water dimension, we quantified trade-offs between water scarcity and production for an ‘upstream’ indicator (measuring minimum water supply) and a ‘downstream’ indicator (measuring impacts on rivers). For the upstream indicator, we developed a visualization tool to evaluate algae production for different thresholds for water surplus. We hypothesized that maintaining a minimum seasonal water surplus would also protect river habitat for aquatic biota. Our study confirmed that ensuring surplus water also reduced the duration of low-flow events, but only above a threshold. We also observed a trade-off between algal production and the duration of low-flow events in streams. These results can help to guide the choice of basin-specific sustainability targets to avoid conflicts with competing water users at this energy-water nexus. Where conflicts emerge, alternative water sources or enclosed photobioreactors may be needed for algae cultivation.

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“…Sesma-Martín and Rubio-Varas [52,54] evaluated the WF of the eight nuclear plants in operation in Spain, finding median annual values ranging from 1.02 to 2.67 m 3 /MWh for the oldest plant. Sesma-Martín [55] analyzed the evolution of the cooling water needs of thermal power plants in the Ebro River basin, the largest contributor to the Spanish electricity grid, over the period 1969-2015, including coal, a natural gas combined cycle, and nuclear plants. He found WFs of similar values, ranging from 0.57 m 3 /MWh for the natural gas combined cycle to 2.60 m 3 /MWh for coal.…”

Section: The Water-energy Nexusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Footprint and Virtual Water Trade: The Birth and Growth of a New Research Field in Spain

Aldaya

Garrido

Llamas

2020

Water

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The growth in the number of studies applying and expanding the concepts of the water footprint and virtual water trade in Spain has generated a wealth of lessons and reflections about the scarcity, allocation, productive use, and management of water from the viewpoint of a semi-arid country. This paper reviews the evolution of this research field in Spain since its introduction in 2005 and reflects on its main contributions and issues of debate. It shows how these concepts can be useful tools for integrated water accounting and raising awareness, when used with certain precautions: (1) Supply-chain thinking, taking into account value chains and the implications of trade, generally ignored in water management, can help to address water scarcity issues and sustainable water use. (2) Green water accounting incorporates land use and soil management, which greatly influences hydrological functioning. (3) The grey water footprint indicator analyzes pollution from an ecosystem point of view and facilitates the understanding of the water quantity and quality relationship. (4) Apparent water productivity analysis, innovatively incorporated into Spanish studies, considers the economic and social aspects associated with water use. However, the decision-making context should be broader, contextualizing and complementing water information with other indicators.

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The River’s Light: Water Needs for Thermoelectric Power Generation in the Ebro River Basin, 1969–2015

Cited by 12 publications

References 39 publications

Water–Energy Nexus: Addressing Stakeholder Preferences in Jordan

Water–Energy Nexus: Addressing Stakeholder Preferences in Jordan

Avoiding Conflicts between Future Freshwater Algae Production and Water Scarcity in the United States at the Energy-Water Nexus

Water Footprint and Virtual Water Trade: The Birth and Growth of a New Research Field in Spain

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