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Brackish groundwater

A cool water option for thermoelectric power generation

Nature Water volume 1, pages 420–421 (2023)Cite this article

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Treatment of brackish groundwater can help to alleviate potential competition for freshwater resources between the power sector and other sectors in water-stressed regions.

The use of water by thermoelectric power generation is important in both collective and individual terms. Collectively, thermoelectric power generation accounts for approximately 40% of total freshwater withdrawals in the United States1. Individually, power plants are important features of local water use. Use is highly variable depending on characteristics of the power plant (for example, plant capacity, fuel type, prime mover, cooling type and emission controls). Withdrawals can exceed 100 million cubic meters (MCM) yr-1 for a 250-megawatt coal-fired plant with open-loop cooling and as low as 1.25 MCM yr-1 for the same sized natural gas combined cycle plant employing recirculating cooling2 — enough water to supply 250,000 and 3,000 homes with water for a year, respectively. This energy-water linkage puts thermoelectric power generation at risk from disruptions in water supply. In fact, there are many examples where power production has been interrupted by physical water shortage or institutional controls (that is, water rights, water quality permitting) induced by drought3. Individually, such events are costly for plant operators and under extreme cases have collectively resulted in disruption to power deliveries. Reliability of water supply is a consideration not only for existing plants but is a growing impediment to the permitting of new thermoelectric power plants.

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Fig. 1: Installed capacity of thermoelectric power plants cooled with non-fresh water sources or dry cooling.

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  1. Watershed Hydrology Modeling, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Tijeras, NM, USA

    Vincent Tidwell

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  1. Vincent Tidwell
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Correspondence to Vincent Tidwell.

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Tidwell, V. A cool water option for thermoelectric power generation. Nat Water 1, 420–421 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-023-00081-w

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