The 6th International Conference on Biomass Energy (ICBE2018)

519 / 2018-09-15 14:32:37

Life cycle water use of a biomass direct-combustion power generation system in China

Plenary track > A. Policies & Strategies

Biomass combustion for power generation plays an important role in fulfilling global energy demand and achieving 2℃ climate target, meanwhile putting pressure on global water resources though. Confronted with severe water shortage, it is necessary to understand its comprehensive impact on water resource. In this regard, this study evaluates the life cycle water use of a typical biomass direct-combustion power generation system in China. By combining Water Footprint (WF) assessment and tiered Hybrid Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), both direct and indirect water use are calculated. Results show life cycle water use for the system is 11.71 L/MJ, while agricultural plantation accounts for the major part (84.61%). In addition, direct water footprint is the main component (81.66%), while green water footprint and blue water footprint take the similar proportion; grey water footprint is relatively less. In terms of water use intensity, this direct-combustion power generation is in the middle range of biomass conversion pathways, but is higher than most conventional power generation technologies, and far more than solar photovoltaic and wind power. The heavy burden to water resource posed by bioenergy systems must be considered by policy-makers when they decide to promote them into large scale development. Finally, some measures are also proposed to alleviate the water footprint of bioenergy systems, for example, cultivating high water-efficient crops and improving irrigation management.