Comprehensive Evaluation And Analysis Of Water Stress For The Thermal Power Industry In Northern Shanxi Province

Northern Shanxi province is a typical coal-rich and water-stressed region.In recent years,the output value of thermal power industry accounted for 1/4 of regional GDP.The thermal power industry is the main driver of regional economic and social development.The thermal power industry is a high energy consumption and high water consumption industries,water consumption of the industry in the North Shanxi accounted for 1/5 of total industrial water use.Rapid development of thermal power industry makes high demands on water resources.However,the North Shanxi is a serious water shortage area with per capita water availability of less than 300 m3/a.Severe water shortage has threatened the thermal power industry in the region.As the contradiction between the regional leading industries and resource supply growing,how to quantify the industry resources stress has the important theoretical value and practical significance.The research not only fills the blank of water pressure in thermal power industry,enrich the theory of index system of water resources research and related systems,but also provides references for the sustainable development of the regional thermal power industry.Based on the North Shanxi thermal power industry and water resources situation,this paper discusses the main factors affecting the restraint of water resource in thermal power industry in North Shanxi.Having built an evaluation model based on water resources,the paper demonstrates water stress in the thermal power plants in Northern Shanxi from 2003 to 2014.It is shown that water scarcity risk is a major restraint for the thermal power generation in the region.Having analyzed various contributors to the inadequate water for the industry,the paper also argues that it is overcapacity that mainly causes water stress in the plants.Furthermore,it gives such suggestions as thermal power production control.The main conclusions of this paper are as follows:(1)Water resource limits the development of the thermal power industry in North Shanxi.The scale of the thermal power industry is the main reason for the high water pressure.The scale should be controlled.We should improve the water efficiency,replanning the power distribution and gradually replace coal with new energy power.(2)Water stress continue to increase in North Shanxi Province under the double pressure of economic development and population growth.We must protect water resource with less emissions,improve the water fee standards and so on.(3)The study put the industry factor into the evaluation model for the first time,building an evaluation model based on water resources.The model may not be comprehensive enough and has space to improve,but the calculation results are according with the actual situation.The model is simple and effective,scientific and feasible.(4)The paper demonstrates water stress in the thermal power plants in Northern Shanxi from 2003 to 2014.As the extension of time series,the results can be used as a reference in the future.