In August 2020, Tongji University released this report with its research findings on the impacts of the upgraded water withdraw standards have on water efficiency in China’s coal-fired power industry. The research was supported by Energy Foundation China.

The report sheds light on the current situation of water use efficiency of coal-fired power generation units in China. In particular, the report illustrates the water efficiency and monetary gains of thermal power generating units after a water withdrawal limit was imposed since February 2020. The finding, however, shows that water saving technology for coal-fired power generation has significant carbon emission cost, suggesting the importance of noting the synergistic effects on the environment from utilizing multiple natural resources. The report hence recommends to leverage water resource management to promote co-management of water efficiency and carbon emission in coal-fired power industry, which applies to three respects in power production: energy transformation and power structure adjustment, optimization of coal-fired power structure and spatial layout, and improvement of water efficiency of various units.

Overall, the report provides practical suggestions to enhance the water management effectiveness in coal-fired power industry.