Water footprint analysis of electricity production in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region based on a hybrid LCA model and its changes under carbon neutralization target

doi:10.12006/j.issn.1673-1719.2021.274

Abstract

Abstract:

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as a major region for power production in China, also has a severe scarcity of water resources. Water footprint is a widely used comprehensive indicator that quantifies one area’s water consumption in the electricity production and its impact on the water environment. This paper used a combined model based on input-output and life cycle analysis to quantitatively analyze Xinjiang’s water footprint of power production in 2012 and 2017, and also investigated the water footprint contribution departments of various power generation technologies. The findings revealed that the water footprint per unit of electricity generation in Xinjiang decreased from 4.26×10^-3 m³/(kW∙h) to 3.08×10^-3 m³/(kW∙h) from 2012 to 2017 due to the change of electricity production structure and technological innovation of thermal power generation. We also discovered that the indirect water footprints of coal power and hydropower were primarily from mining and heavy industry, accounting for 60.3% and 52.8%, respectively, after analyzing the water footprint contribution departments of different power generation technologies. When it came to wind power and photovoltaic power generation technology, heavy industry and light industry accounted for 38.1% and 56.0% of the indirect water footprints, respectively. Furthermore, the high proportion of renewable energy generation from 2017 to 2050 will reduce the unit water footprint of Xinjiang’s power production by 75%, according to the analysis of the changes in the water footprint influenced by the transformation of Xinjiang’s power structure under China’s carbon neutrality target.

Key words: Water footprint, Electricity production, Hybrid life cycle assessment (HLCA), Input-output analysis, Carbon neutrality

YAN Shu-Qi, LI Su-Mei, LYU He, CHEN Sha, LIU Ying-Ying, WANG Hong-Tao, LIU Hui-Zheng, CHEN Qian-Li. Water footprint analysis of electricity production in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region based on a hybrid LCA model and its changes under carbon neutralization target[J]. Climate Change Research, 2022, 18(3): 294-304.

Figures/Tables 9

Table 1 Departmental consolidation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Fig. 1 Hybrid LCA framework for quantifying the water footprint of electricity production

Table 2 Material inventory of thermal power generation of blue water footprint

Table 3 Material inventory of thermal power generation of grey water footprint

Fig. 2 Status of electricity production in Xinjiang during 2012-2017

Fig. 3 Water footprint of power structure of Xinjiang in 2012 and 2017

Table 4 Indirect water footprint contribution departments of different power generation technologies in 2017

Fig. 4 Power structure change under carbon neutralization target in Xinjiang

Fig. 5 Water footprint of electricity production under carbon neutralization target in Xinjiang

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