In one of my previous entries
“How can energy improve water access without worsening the situation?” I
already discussed the use of renewable energy to improve access to water for
both personal and agriculture use. In this entry I am going to dig into the effects
of using renewable energy on the water intensity of the power sector.
The IRENA article, cited in
the above entry, called "Renewable
Energy in the Water, Energy and Food Nexus" says
that “energy production globally accounts for about 15% of total freshwater
withdrawals, second only to agriculture”. Leaving bioenergy on the side,
renewable energy sources require a very small amount of fossil fuels for their
development and therefore it can be negligible.
Source: IRENA, 2015 |
As the graph shows, the amount of water
withdrawal for bioenergy is substantially higher than for conventional fossil
fuels (coal, gas and oil). This is due to the great volume of water needed for
feedstock production, processing and transportation (IRENA, 2015). Developing
conventional fuels require water input for mining and drilling (extraction). Once the fuel is transported, the next
stage, energy generation, is also very water-intensive requiring energy mostly
for cooling (IRENA, 2015).
The question about whether renewable
energy technologies can reduce the water footprint is answered with studies
form different institutions or organisations. The International Energy Agency
has modelled three energy sector world scenarios where it shows that an
expansion of the role of renewables will decrease water withdrawals while water
consumption will still increase (IEA, 2012). Moreover, the European Wind Energy
Association estimated that “wind energy avoided the use of 387 billion litres
of water in 2012” (IRENA, 2015).
The following step is to analyse the
energy sector in Africa and see the impact that a shift from fossil fuels to
renewable energy would have in the water withdrawals. The article Prospects
for the African Power Sector also by IRENA (IRENA, 2012) gives a scenario for 2030 that
models the situation if renewable energy policies were implemented given the
current situation.
Power generation in Africa is dominated
by fossil fuels (81%) with coal being the main source (40%) followed by natural
gas (29%) and oil products (12%). Hydropower corresponds to a 16% of the total
power generation and lastly nuclear power account for 2% and other renewables
for 1% (IAE database).
The model compares two scenarios. The
first one is a continuation of existing economic, demographic and energy trends
(business as usual) and the second one is a renewable scenario where a
transition to a renewable-based energy system achieves electricity access for
all by 2030 (IRENA, 2012).
Source: IRENA, 2012 |
The graph bellow shows the differences
between the two future scenarios modelled. Whereas in 2015 the picture is still
very similar, solar and wind energy production starts to substitute the use of
fossil fuels. In 2030 the picture would look very different. In the business as
usual scenario, most of the electricity would be generated with the use of
fossil fuels whereas in the renewable scenario, fossil fuels would generate
less than half of the electricity with solar and wind expanding and producing
most of the other 50%. For the 2050 renewable scenario, the use of fossil fuels
would not increase, and the increasing energy demand would be met by the rapid
expansion of solar and wind energy, hydro and biomass.
In terms of regions, the renewable
scenario also models the electricity generations by regions. The south and west
would still use fossil fuels to generate most of its electricity. In the south the
dominant source would be coal and in the south it would be oil. Central
Africa’s electricity production would be dominated by hydropower (corresponding
to two thirds of the total generation). The East would be dominated by wind and
the north by solar and wind mostly (IRENA, 2012).
For the scenario explained above it is
assumed that the policies promoting the transition would be fully implemented
and would perfectly work. It is important to recognise and we aware of the
limits and challenges that this transition comprises in order to understand the
difficult situation that Africa is currently living and why the process, that
has already started, is being very slow. The article Renewable
Energy in Africa: Prospects and Limits by the United Nations (UN, 2003) explains this limits.
The three major barriers:
- Policy and legal barriers: Since the
end of the oil crisis of the 1970s, African governments have failed to promote
the use the RETs (Renewable Energy Technologies). This is demonstrated by the
low budget allocation to renewables in most countries (UN, 2003).
“In Ethiopia investments
in petroleum quadrupled from 1990-2000… In contrast, expenditure on traditional
and alternative energy (which includes RETs) has steadily decreased from about
1% of total expenditure in 1990, to 0.1% of total expenditure in the year 2000”.
(UN, 2003)
- Technical barriers: The is a continuing
shortage of qualified personal for installing and maintaining renewable energy
technologies, which make them unsustainable. Projects rely on the expertise of
a expatriate or urban personnel, therefore, on their departure, the
technologies become far to complex for the community and production stops (UN, 2003).
- Financial barriers: The initial capital
costs for renewable technologies are very high and therefore, due to the lack
of government funding and the low income level of the majority of the
population, the RETs become unaffordable. Moreover, due to a lack of awareness,
banks are normally reluctant to provide loans for RETs projects (UN, 2003).
Opinion: The three barriers are involved
in a vicious cycle that I believe can be broken by a change of mentality. The
most important factor in this circle is the government. If the government start
seeing the expenditure in the renewable sector as an investment, it will make
it easier for the population to afford RETs and it will also attract the
private sector and therefore the banks as well. In terms of building local
capability, the increase in both, public and private investment, will increase
the training programmes that must be designed for local communities. This will
not only make the use of RETs sustainable but also create employment for the
local communities. At last, these barriers must be overcome so the renewable
sector can expand and therefore, decrease the water withdrawal for the power
sector and the pressure on achieving water security in general terms.
Your posts are reflective and engage well with the literature. Keep up the good work.
ResponderEliminarHi Maria
ResponderEliminarInteresting post! Have you considered the role of other actors in providing energy, such as NGOs? They may be able to overcome some of the barriers you have talked about. What do you think of small-scale energy approaches that have been implemented by NGOs? Could this be a better option than relying on the government, as they do not have enough funds to invest in renewable energy?
Shriya
Hi Shriya!
EliminarThats a really good point. NGOs definitely play a really important role in implementing small-scale energy projects. But, in my opinion, even if the NGO does a great job, the help of the government is always needed even if its just only because the NGOs need to do their work in agreement with the regulation from the specific country. Therefore, in countries where the government is favourable to the use of RET, the implementation of projects that use renewable energies is much easier and simpler.