Water in the Emerging Energy Environment and Its Sustainable Use

Water has always been intricately associated with energy. Development of any specific form of energy has required the use of water during its project cycle – as a feedstock (e.g. Electrolysis), for cooling, for supporting utility systems, for operation of the facilities – safety (firefighting, first aid with safety showers, etc). Earlier forms of energy generation were dominated by fossil, that are being phased out in favour of new sustainable forms of energy. For each of these applications water is required, the demand varying in the quantity and quality. The availability and management of the water resource plays an important part in the project type and site selection as well as operation of the constructed facility during its entire life cycle.

AWWA, in their Water 2050 Sustainability document (AWWA, September 2022) reiterated the need for reframing the value of water to reflect the need to prepare for a sustainable future. The aim will also be to achieve economies of scale of water systems through consolidation and operational efficiencies.

An important aspect of today’s industry, including design and operation of a water system is the need for sustainable solutions that satisfy the triple bottom line principles of sustainability – people, planet & profit. A sustainable future for water in the industry will require design of water systems through energy and water efficiency, implementation of circular principles and three R’s of water – Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.

In this paper, the newer challenges faced by the water industry to satisfy the needs of the emerging energy technologies, e.g. electrolysis, Battery production are highlighted. Specific requirements for water quality and treatment options are discussed in relation to the emerging energy technologies.