When we think about water consumption, we mainly think about what comes out of the tap. But behind every light we turn on or every screen we work on, there is also water. The production of energy—from coal to solar energy—requires water. And often more than we think.
The water footprint of energy
Water is indispensable for generating electricity. It is used to produce steam that drives turbines, to cool installations, and in the extraction and transport of fuels.
Conventional energy sources such as coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy require large amounts of water. Depending on the technology and type of power plant, the production of one kilowatt hour of electricity can require up to ten liters of water.
Bij hernieuwbare energie ligt dat helemaal anders. Zonnepanelen en windturbines verbruiken nauwelijks water tijdens hun werking. Waterkrachtcentrales gebruiken water als aandrijvende kracht, maar datzelfde water stroomt nadien gewoon verder in de rivier.
The conclusion is clear: the less fossil energy we use, the smaller our water footprint.
Energy guzzles water
The fossil fuel sector is one of the largest consumers of water worldwide.
Every year, more than 640 billion cubic meters of water are extracted for the production, processing, and combustion of fossil fuels. Of this, nearly 58 billion cubic meters are effectively lost through evaporation or pollution.
New extraction methods such as shale gas extraction (fracking) reinforce this effect: they use up to seven times more water than traditional drilling methods.
Cooling systems are also major consumers of energy in power plants. Plants with once-through cooling extract enormous quantities of river or seawater. Dry cooling saves water, but reduces energy efficiency.
In short: fossil fuels not only cost a lot of CO₂, but also a lot of water.
Less energy, less water
Saving energy is therefore good for our water resources. You can make a difference with a few simple habits:
• Switch appliances off completely instead of leaving them on standby.
• Use LED bulbs, which consume up to 85 percent less energy.
• Turn down the heating by one degree—this saves up to 7 percent energy.
• Select eco mode on laptops and computers—less power also means less water consumption in the power plant.
Energy without thirst
Our energy choices determine how scarce water becomes. By switching to renewable sources, we not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also the pressure on rivers, lakes, and groundwater layers. Here you can see the water consumption per method.
Solar panels, wind turbines, and heat pumps show that it is possible to generate energy without depleting water resources. You can make a big difference by choosing your energy supplier carefully.
Flip the switch today.
For less energy. For more water.
Sources
Spang, E. et al. (2014). The water consumption of energy production: An international comparison. Environmental Research Letters. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/9/10/105002
Mekonnen, M.M. & Hoekstra, A.Y. (2020). The green, blue and grey water footprint of electricity and heat generation. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136389
Eawag (2021). Global assessment of fossil energy water use and wastewater production. https://www.eawag.ch/en/news-agenda/news-portal/news-detail/fossil-fuels-water-use/
Food & Water Watch (2022). Thirsty Fossil Fuels: How transitioning to renewables saves water. https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2207_FSW_WaterUseinRenewables-WEBFINAL.pdf
Visualizing Energy (2023). Electricity generation and water use. https://visualizingenergy.org/what-methods-of-electricity-generation-use-the-most-water/
Nature Scientific Data (2020). Global virtual water trade in energy systems. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-020-00795-6
U.S. Geological Survey & Axios (2018). Rising water use in shale oil and gas production. https://www.axios.com/2018/08/16/fracking-shale-oil-water-use-texas
International Energy Agency (IEA). Water and Energy Nexus. https://www.iea.org/topics/water
Water Footprint Network. Methodology and data on global water footprints. https://waterfootprint.org
