Veolia Water Technologies by GineersNow Engineering Magazine GineersNow Engineering Magazine September 2016 | Page 21

WATER SHORTAGES FROM
CLIMATE CHANGE THREATEN
GLOBAL POWER SUPPLY
Photo by WSCorp
In a 2016 study that linked water
shortages due to climate change
to power generation on a global
scale, it showed that not only are
power plants one of the main
causes of climate change, they
might also be the most vulnerable
to its effects.
As rivers slowly dry up, and what
water is left starts to warm,
power plants that use water as an
integral part of their generation
will suffer. Hydroelectric power
plants, of course, rely on strong
river currents with lots and lots
of water to power their turbines,
while thermoelectric power plants
– nuclear, biomass, as well as
fossil-fuelled – need water to cool
down.
According to the study, the 40%
shortfall in the global water
supply will cause more than 60%
of power plants across the globe
to drastically reduce capacity
starting from 2040 onwards. This
will be worse during the hot and
dry summer months.
The study recommended short-
and long-term solutions, which
included a deeper understanding
of the “water footprint of energy
technologies” and the creation of
a regulatory framework that will
oversee the production processes
of existing power plants. A
shift towards renewable energy
sources was also reiterated, as
well as the development of better
energy infrastructure. The authors
of the study stressed the need
for international cooperation,
especially in terms of utilizing the
over 200 transboundary water
basins that make up 45% of the
planet’s surface.
In other words, the water shortage
can only be solved through
international cooperation –
because if that doesn’t happen,
then we have a Mad Max-level
doomsday scenario on our hands.
Photo by Eurelectric
SEPTEMBER 2016
Clean Water Technologies
21