Insights and Commentaries

Water use of thermal power plants equipped with CO₂ capture systems

16th December 2016

Topic(s): CO₂ capture, CO₂ storage

The potential for increased water use has often been noted as a challenge to the widespread deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Early studies, that are widely referenced and cited in discussions of CCS, indicated that installation of a capture system would nearly double water consumption for thermal power generation, while more recent studies show different results. The Global CCS Institute has conducted a comprehensive review of data available in order to clarify messages around water consumption associated with installation of a capture system. Changes in water use estimates over time have been evaluated in terms of capture technology, cooling systems, and how the data are reported.
 
Guido Magneschi, Institute’s Senior Advisor – Carbon Capture, and co-author of the study, presented the results of the review and illustrated the main conclusions.

Here is a recording of the webinar and a browsable version of the slides used in the presentation:

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