Cape Town Drought and Coal Power

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Coal power plants consume a huge amount of water for cooling. Coal mines also have a huge impact on water resources.

Even though most of the coal power plants and mines are far from Cape Town (located in other catchments), I would like to ask if you can see a  link between coal power/mining and water scarcity in South Africa with special regard to the Cape Town drought case?

I'm looking forward to any idea.

Thank you very much!

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3 Answers

  1. Dear Csaba Vaszko, Good question,

    Western Cape dam water levels remain critically low, at just 23.1% and Premier Helen Zille has declared the province a disaster zone in order to deal with the ongoing crisis. The introduction of level 4b water restrictions requires Capetonians to only use potable water for drinking, cooking and essential washing with a limit of 87 litres per person per day. A significant contributing factor to the Cape Town water crisis is the fact that over the last decade Cape Town’s population has grown by 55%, while dam storage capacity has only increased by 15% over the same period. If you were to factor in the increase in commercial activity, the result is a disproportionate increase in demand compared to the increase in supply. Climate Change has just exacerbated the problem as rainfall in the Western Cape has been gradually decreasing over time. identified Cape Town as being vulnerable and would need additional water resources by 2017

    The availability of clean and reliable sources of water is a critical issue across the throughout the world. Under the Innovations for Existing Plants Program (IEP), the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has pursued an integrated water-energy R&D program that addresses water management issues relative to coal-based power generation. the link between energy and water, deepen the understanding of this link and its implications, and integrate current water-related R&D activities into a national water-energy R&D program.

    The coal fired power stations do add significant Greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere, one of the causes of climate change.  So yes, there is a link due to climate change. 

    Non-Traditional Sources of Process and Cooling Water

    Research in this area typically involves waters that have previously been considered unsuitable for cooling water purposes due to some form of organic or inorganic contamination, such as the presence of high dissolved solids concentrations. These non-traditional sources can range from mine drainage waters to produced waters from mineral extraction processes to municipal wastewaters.

    Innovative Water Reuse and Recovery

     capturing water that historically has been discharged in either aqueous or vapor form and reusing the water in the power plant. Applications here range from ash pond waters to water captured from flue gases.

    Advanced Cooling Technology
    Research in advanced cooling involves innovative ways to cool power plant waters while minimizing water consumption. Systems being evaluated range from advanced mechanical systems (i.e., cooling towers) to constructed wetlands that can help cool power plant waters and provide wildlife habitat

    Advanced water treatment system

    Proposed controls on the emission of mercury and other trace elements have raised concerns about the ultimate fate of these contaminants once they are removed from power plant combustion flue gas. Preventing these air pollutants from being transferred to surface or ground waters will be critical. In addition, ammonia from selective catalytic reduction systems used to control nitrogen oxide emissions can appear in a power plant’s wastewater streams.

    Advanced Water Treatment and Detection Technology Thermoelectrical Power Generation

    Thermoelectric power generation includes power plants that utilize coal, nuclear, oil, natural gas, and the steam portion of gas-fired combined cycles. Thermoelectric generation represents the largest segment. electricity production, with coal-based power plants alone generating about half of the nation’s electric supply. According to water use survey data from the  thermoelectric generation accounted for41 %, slightly ahead of irrigation. Each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of thermoelectric generation requires the withdrawal of approximately 25 gallons of water (weighted-average for all thermoelectric power generation), which is primarily used for cooling purposes. Other power plant water uses include water for operation of pollution control devices such as flue gas desulfurization (FGD) technology as well as for ash handling, wastewater treatment, and wash water.

    Below are some of the more common water-saving initiatives:

    1. Install advance cooling water system for less water consumption.
    2. Installation of water-efficient taps with an aerator or flow restrictor.
    3. Installation of lever or mixer taps.
    4. Avoid washing up under running taps.
    5. Consider installing automatic or sensor taps.
    6. Replace single-flush toilets with dual-flush toilets.
    7. Convert to waterless urinals.
    8. Encourage staff and customers to limit showers to 4 minutes or less.
    9. Install water-efficient shower heads.
    10. Regularly check for leaks and fix them immediately
    11. https://www.nfl.co.in/office/index.php?r=email/message/attachment&account_id=1392&mailbox=INBOX&uid=11460&number=2&encoding=base64&filename=7afb7f48-98f1-40b8-83a0-9e11d2a85d4b.MP4&security_token=eRHsLGDtY5FWOlJvczp9&token=d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e

       

  3. Hello Csaba,  it is well known that coal fired power stations do add significant CO2 to the atmosphere, one of the causes of climate change.  Even the newer power stations that are being constructed with de-sulphurization of the stack gas do not remove CO2.  So yes, there is a link due to climate change.  However it is difficult to quantify and establish direct links.  Some will say there have always been periods of flooding and drought, and we need to expect this.  Even the South Africa's National Development Plan finalised in 2012 identified Cape Town as being vulnerable and would need additional water resources by 2017.  So probably the fact that this is one of the worst droughts experienced in that part of South Africa can be attributed to both natural climatic occurrences and climate change factors.  Population growth and hence demand for water resources has also increased, making it more of a challenge to manage drought conditions and exacerbating the effects of drought. Ultimately though climate change does result in an increase in the frequency and severity of these natural occurrences, as evidenced all over the planet.  Cape Town and the the Western Cape is experiencing its severity due to the concentrated population of the area, and the fact that almost all surface and easily accessible groundwater resources have already been exploited, leaving only alternative technologies such as desalination and sewage reclamation at higher cost for future water security.