Water Use in India’s Electricity Sector// Renewable Energy Needs to Be Considered into Energy Planning
By Rabia Ferroukhi, Divyam Nagpal, Verena Ommer, Celia García-Baños, Tianyi Luo, Deepak Krishnan and Ashok Thanikonda. 85% of India’s power generation relies on freshwater. This study highlights the socio-economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy as the core of India’s energy future.
This paper examines the impact of changes in cooling technologies mandated for thermal power plants and an increased share of renewable energy, on freshwater use (excluding hydropower) and on carbon emissions to year 2030. The analysis builds on previous work undertaken by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and draws on the commitment made by India at the 2015 Conference of Parties (COP 21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The analysis contributes to the growing discourse on integrating water considerations into power sector planning for thermal and renewable energy development.
Content
- Summary
- Energy and water interlinkages
- The role of hydropower
- Pathways to power sector growth
- Impacts on water withdrawal, consumption and carbon emissions
- Water withdrawal and consumption
- Carbon emissions
- Absolute water and carbon savings
- Concluding remarks
- References
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Published
January 2018