Water demands of coal power plants in drought affected regions of India

Introduction:
India has been suffering from one the worst droughts in decades, affecting 266 districts across 11
states1-Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The reason for such widespread drought
cannot be attributed just to the deficient monsoon rains of 2015. Equitable and transparent
management of water resources with a definitive assessment of water availability is key to mitigate
drought and water scarcity. With a country which has 4% of water resources but more than 17% of
the worlds' population, long term planning of water resources is necessary to prevent severe
droughts.
Coal power plants are one of most water-intensive industrial users of fresh water across the world
and in India. The water consumption of coal power plants has not received sufficient attention, even
during a drought affected year. Coal power plants require large volumes of water for their
operations. Water is mostly consumed for cooling, with additional water going into scrubbing the
air pollutants from power plant emissions and handling coal ash.
The report by Greenpeace - The Great Water Grab. How the coal industry is deepening the Global
Water Crisis www.greenpeace.org/thegreatwatergrab recently estimated the total fresh water
consumption of coal power plants in India to be 4.6 billion cubic metres per year. This is amount
of water which is enough to cover the basic water needs of 251 million persons annually. The
massive amount of water shows the water demand of coal power, which has impacts on coal power
plants themselves and the other water users, competing for the same water.
There are no easy alternatives to reduce the water intensiveness of coal power plants other than
adopting less water intensive generation technologies like Solar PV and Wind. India should speed
up renewable energy utilisation especially in water scarce- drought prone regions to protect the
water resources.
Cooling technologies of coal power plants have different water demands:
Globally as well as in India, cooling technologies used by coal power plants fall into three
categories:
Wet-recirculating or closed-loop systems reuse cooling water in a second cycle rather than
immediately discharging it back to the original water source. This is the predominant choice of
cooling system globally, used in approximately half of the coal fleet. A 500 MW, sub-critical coal
plant would withdraw around 10 million cubic metres and consumes 8.4 million cubic metres of
water per year.
Once-through Cooling systems take water from nearby sources (e.g., rivers, lakes, aquifers, or the
ocean), circulate it through pipes to absorb heat from the steam in systems called condensers, and
discharge the now warmer water to the local source. This kind of cooling system is commonly
found in coastal plants (using seawater for cooling), older inland plants, or where there is an
abundant and reliable supply of freshwater. A 500 MW, sub-critical coal power plant would
withdraw around 500 million cubic metres and consumes 2.9 million cubic metres of water per year.
1

Sourced from unstarred question 2279 answered on 13th May 2016, Rajya Sabha.
http://164.100.47.234/question/annex/239/Au2279.docx

Dry-cooling or air-cooled condensers use air instead of water as a medium to remove the heat
from the vapour-to-liquid condensation process. Power plants with dry-cooling still use significant
amount of fresh water for scrubbing of air pollutants, this amounts to 20-25 % of the typical amount
water demand of re-circulating wet cooling. A 500MW, super critical coal power plant would
withdraw around 2 million cubic metres and consumes 1.7 million cubic metres of water per year.
Baseline water stress from WRI Aqueduct global map data:
The report by Greenpeace - The Great Water Grab. How the coal industry is deepening the Global
Water Crisis www.greenpeace.org/thegreatwatergrab uses data on water scarce regions provided
by World Resources Institutess (WRI) Aqueduct Global Map data 2.1 (2015). The database is open
and is available at http://www.wri.org/applications/maps/aqueduct-atlas
Baseline water stress is the ratio of total water withdrawal for all human uses (in cubic metres/ year)
to the available blue water. Available blue water is the total amount of fresh surface water available
to a catchment before any uses within that catchment are satisfied. This does not include
groundwater.
Based on this open database the water scarce regions are divided into 6 categories:
Water stress categories

Baseline water stress

1 Low stress

Less than 10%

2 Low to medium

10 % to 20%

3 Medium to high

20-40%

4 High

40% to 80%

5 Extremely high

80-100%

6 Over withdrawal

More than 100%

Based on the cooling technologies used by the coal power plants, water consumption can be
assessed from standard figures. Additionally, an average plant load factor (PLF) of 85% per year is
assumed. Overall, a 500 MW coal power plant with cooling tower, sub critical at 85 % capacity
factor consumes 8.4 million cubic metres of water per year.
Drought affected regions Vs water stressed regions:
The official declaration of drought by the state governments mostly follow an assessment of losses
in agriculture caused by a poor rainfall in 2015. The WRI database on the other hand is based on
long term analysis of 12 global indicators like water withdrawal, total blue water, available blue
water, baseline water stress, inter- annual variability, seasonal variability, flood occurrence, drought
severity, upstream storage, groundwater stress, return flow ratio, upstream protected land, media
coverage on water, access to water and threatened amphibians. Therefore, the water scarcity
predicted by WRI data in any particular area may or may not match the 2015-16 drought
declarations in the country but usually indicates the long term risk of water availability in any
particular area.

Analysis of Maharashtra
Estimate of cooling water need for operational coal power plants:
The total capacity of power plants operating in Maharashtra which use fresh water in cooling
towers and cooling ponds is 14660 MW. These coal power plants altogether consume about 350
million cubic metres of water each year.
Water consumption by operating coal power plants in water stressed regions
Water stress
categories

Coal plants capacity Water

with recirculating
consumption per
cooling
year (million cubic
metres)

Equivalent to annual human

water consumption at basic
minimum of 50 litres per
person per day (WHO
recommendation)

High and
Extremely High
water stress

4276 MW

101.8

56 lakh persons

Medium to High
water stress

9109 MW

217

1.2 crore persons

Total

13385 MW

318.8

1.76 crore persons

Estimate of cooling water need for coal power plants under construction:
As of end of 2013, further 14070 MW of power plants were under construction, based on our
research we estimate almost all of these plants to have cooling towers. About 5590 MW of them in
high water stress areas, 8210 MW in medium to high water stress areas. Estimated annual water
consumption of these plants is 335 million cubic metres, equalling water needs of 1.83 crore
persons for a year.
Estimate of cooling water need for proposed coal power plants:
Further 23388 MW of coal power plants with are proposed to be built in Maharashtra, and based on
our research we estimate most of the plants to have cooling towers. 15 644 MW of these are located
in medium to high or high water stressed areas. With cooling towers these 23 GW of coal power
plants would consume estimated 557 million cubic metres of water annually, equaling the basic
water needs of roughly 3 crore persons for a year.

Analysis of Madhya Pradesh

Estimate of cooling water need for operating coal power plants:
The total capacity of power plants in Madhya Pradesh which use fresh water in cooling towers is
9344 MW. These coal power plants altogether consume about 222 million cubic metres of water
each year.
Water consumption by operating coal power plants in water stressed regions
Water stress
categories

Coal plants capacity Water

with recirculating
consumption per
cooling
year (million cubic
metres)

Equivalent to annual human

water consumption at basic
minimum of 50 litres per
person per day (WHO
recommendation)

High and
Extremely High
water stress

3144 MW

40 lakh persons

75

Estimate of cooling water need for coal power plants under construction:
As of end of 2013, further 14670 MW of power plants with cooling towers were under construction.
6230 MW of them were in extremely or high water stress areas, and 8840 MW in low to medium to
water stress areas.
Estimated annual water consumption of the plants in extremely high and high water stress areas
(6230MW) were 148 million cubic metres, equalling water needs of 80 lakh persons, each year.
Estimate of cooling water need for proposed coal power plants:
Further 36340 MW of coal power plants which are proposed to be built in Madhya Pradesh, and
based on our research we estimate most of the plants to have cooling towers.
About 21780 MW of these are located in high water stressed areas and 9280 MW in medium to
high water stress areas. Taken together, these 31060 MW of coal power plants would consume
estimated 740 million cubic metres of water annually, equaling the basic water needs of roughly 4.1
crore persons each year.

Analysis of Uttar Pradesh

Estimate of cooling water need for operating coal power plants:
The total capacity of power plants in Uttar Pradesh which use fresh water in cooling towers is 8918
MW. These coal power plants altogether consume about 212 million cubic metres of water each
year.
Water consumption by operating coal power plants in water stressed regions
Water stress
categories

Coal plants capacity Water

with recirculating
consumption per
cooling
year (million cubic
metres)

Equivalent to annual human

water consumption at basic
minimum of 50 litres per
person per day (WHO
recommendation)

High and
Extremely High
water stress

7403 MW

96 lakh persons

176

Estimate of cooling water need for coal power plants under construction:
As of end of 2013, further 8760 MW of coal power plants with cooling towers were under
construction. 2980 MW of them are located in extremely or high water stress areas. Estimated
annual water consumption of the plants in extremely high and high water stress areas were 71
million cubic metres, equalling water needs of 38 lakh persons each year.
Estimate of cooling water need for proposed coal power plants:
Further 16,050 MW of coal power plants are proposed to be built in Uttar Pradesh and based on our
research we estimate most of the plants to have cooling towers. 15 550 MW of these are located in
extremely high and high water stressed areas and 500 MW in low water stress areas.
These 15,550 MW of coal power plants would consume estimated 371 million cubic metres of
water annually, equaling the basic water needs of roughly 2 crore persons each year.

Analysis of Karnataka
Estimate of cooling water need for operating coal power plants:
The total capacity of power plants in Karnataka which use fresh water in cooling towers is 5031
MW. These coal power plants altogether consume about 120 million cubic metres of water each
year.
Water consumption by operating coal power plants in water stressed regions Karnataka
Water stress
categories

Coal plants capacity Water

with recirculating
consumption per
cooling
year (million cubic
metres)

Equivalent to annual human

water consumption at basic
minimum of 50 litres per
person per day (WHO
recommendation)

High and
Extremely High
water stress

1981 MW

47

25 lakh persons

Medium to High
water stress

95 MW

2.2

1.62 lakh persons

Total

2076 MW

49.2

26.2 lakh persons

Estimate of cooling water need for coal power plants under construction:
As of end of 2013, further 4763 MW of power plants with cooling towers were under construction.
4708 MW of them in extremely high and high water stress areas, and 55 MW in medium to high
water stress areas. Estimated annual water consumption of these plants is 113 million cubic metres,
equalling water needs of 62 lakh persons each year.
Proposed power plants in Karnataka:
Further 12146 MW of coal power plants with are proposed to be built in Karnataka, and based on
our research we estimate most of the plants to have cooling towers. 8606 MW of these are located
in extremely high or high water stressed areas and 1320 MW in medium to high water stress areas.
With cooling towers these 9926 MW of coal power plants would consume estimated 236 million
cubic metres of water annually, equalling the basic water needs of roughly 1.3 crore persons each
year.

Analysis of Andhra Pradesh:

Estimate of cooling water need for operating coal power plants:
The total capacity of power plants in Andhra Pradesh which use fresh water in cooling towers is
4147 MW. These coal power plants altogether consume about 99 million cubic metres of water each
year.
Water consumption by operating coal power plants in water stressed regions
Water stress
categories

Coal plants capacity Water

with recirculating
consumption per
cooling
year (million cubic
metres)

Equivalent to annual human

water consumption at basic
minimum of 50 litres per
person per day (WHO
recommendation)

High and
Extremely High
water stress

3971 MW

51 lakh persons

99

Estimate of cooling water need for coal power plants under construction:
As of end of 2013, further 3580 MW of power plants with cooling tower were under construction.
They are all located in high water stress areas. Estimated annual water consumption of these plants
is 85 million cubic metres, equalling the basic water needs of 46 lakh persons each year. (based on
WHO recommendation of 50 litres per capita per day).

Estimate of cooling water need for proposed coal power plants: Further 1320 MW of coal power
plants with cooling towers are proposed to be built in Andhra Pradesh, in extremely high water
stressed areas. With cooling towers these coal power plants would consume estimated 31 million
cubic metres of water annually, equalling the basic water needs of roughly 17 lakh persons each
year.

Analysis of Telangana
Estimate of cooling water need for operating coal power plants:
The total capacity of power plants in Telangana which use fresh water in cooling towers is 5225
MW. These coal power plants altogether consume about 124 million cubic metres of water each
year.
Water consumption by operating coal power plants in water stressed regions
Water stress
categories

Coal plants capacity Water

with recirculating
consumption per
cooling
year (million cubic
metres)

Equivalent to annual human

water consumption at basic
minimum of 50 litres per
person per day (WHO
recommendation)

Medium to High
water stress

3206 MW

40 lakh persons

76

Estimate of cooling water need for coal power plants under construction:
As of end of 2013, further 1800 MW of power plants were under construction, based on our
research we estimate these plants to have cooling towers, all of them in medium to high water stress
areas. Annual water consumption of these plants is 42 million cubic metres, equalling water needs
of 24 lakh persons, for a year.

Analysis of Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh has a total coal power capacity of 13503 MW. These coal power plants altogether
consume about 321 million cubic metres of water. Almost 67% of this capacity is using cooling
towers that is wet-recirculating or closed-loop systems. About 19.6% of coal power plants use once
through fresh water cooling systems. A smaller percentage (13%) of the coal power plants use
cooling ponds.
Estimate of cooling water need for operating coal power plants:
The total capacity of power plants in Chhattisgarh which use fresh water in cooling towers and
cooling ponds is 10818 MW. These coal power plants altogether consume about 257 million cubic
metres of water each year.
Water consumption by operating coal power plants in water stressed regions
Water stress
categories

Coal plants capacity Water

with recirculating
consumption per
cooling
year (million cubic
metres)

Equivalent to annual human

water consumption at basic
minimum of 50 litres per
person per day (WHO
recommendation)

Medium to High
water stress

5459 MW

71 lakh persons

130

Estimate of cooling water need for coal power plants under construction:
As of end of 2013, further 18275 MW of power plants were under construction, based on our
research we estimate almost all of these plants to have cooling towers. 9655 MW of them are in
Medium- high water stress regions. Estimated annual water consumption of these plants is 230
million cubic metres, equalling water needs of 1.2 crore persons for a year.
Estimate of cooling water need for proposed coal power plants:
Further 30110 MW of coal power plants are proposed to be built in Chhattisgarh, nd based on our
research we estimate most of the plants to have cooling towers. However, only 2920 MW of these
power plants are located in extremely high and medium to high water stress areas requiring 69
million cubic metres of water, equalling the basic water need of 38 lakh persons for a year.

Notes:
1) The assessment makes the following assumptions regarding the cooling technologies used
by coal power plants due to the gaps in data.

Coal power plants within 20 km to the coast are assumed to be utilising sea water for
their cooling needs.
Coal power plants near large rivers and lakes are assumed to be using Once-through
fresh water cooling technology which consumes less water as compared to closed-loop
cooling systems. However, this is only used for power plants permitted before 1999since Ministry of environment and forests has not permitted once-through fresh water
cooling technologies since 1999.

2) For other minor assumptions- please refer to the technical report about methods and results.
3) For all states, assessments of human water equivalent needs are calculated only for power
plants located in water stressed areas that are categorised as extremely high, high and
medium to high water stress.
For more information contact:
Jai Krishna R : +91 98455 91992, jaikrishna.r@greenpeace.org
Anindita Datta Choudhary, +91 98715 15804, anindita.datta.choudhury@greenpeace.org
Published on 3rd June 2016.