Energy for Water Utilization in China and Policy Implications for Integrated Planning

Water and energy are two vital resources for human and are intrinsically linked. China is a country with acute water problems caused by increasing demand, uneven spatial-temporal distribution of water resources, and water quality deterioration. These issues are exacerbating the country's water scarcity. Meanwhile, demands for both traditional and non-traditional water resources continue to rise, driven by the country's rapid economic expansion and industrialization. To meet growing water demands, more and more energy is used for water extraction, transportation and treatment. While projects such as deep groundwater pumping, long distance water transfer and seawater desalination are adding crucial supplies of fresh water, they are consuming an ever greater amount of energy. Thus, a better understanding of water-energy linkages is important for integrated water and energy policy analysis and planning. In this study, data from multiple sources are compiled and used to calculate energy consumption for different processes of water utilization in China, including water abstraction, treatment, and distribution, as well as wastewater treatment and re-use. Sankey diagrams are used to display the magnitude and direction of water and energy flows in China at the national level. Spatial distributions of energy use by different components of the water supply were further mapped at the provincial level to discern regional differences. The results of this study show that, for the main processes considered, water utilization consumes 193.5 TWh of electricity, or about 4% of the total national electricity usage. The highest percentage of energy consumption for water is attributed to water provision process. The outcome of this study has important implications for policy reforms involving water conservation strategies, water supply structure changes and technical solutions, which, in turn, will contribute to achieving the goal of low-energy water utilization in the future.