Industrial water use efficiency in India : case studies of thermal power plant
Student name: Mr Daryosh Tabesh
Guide: Dr Arun Kansal
Year of completion: 2014
Host Organisation: The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), New Delhi
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Anshuman
Abstract: Water is an important factor for maintaining food security, irrigation, feeding livestock
sustaining nature’s sustainability, biodiversity conservation and progress of industries.
The availability water resources in most Indian states is not adequate. Moreover, the pressure
of water scarcity is accelerating and going to increase further as per some projections.
Industrial sector is the second largest water consumer after the agriculture sectorsince it has
exceeded domestic water uses in 2010. Meanwhile the amount of water used by industries in
India has increased rapidly, compared to domestic water use.
According to ADB,industrial water consumption of India was estimated 56 MCM in 2010
whereas it has been projected that this amount will increase by 151 MCM in 2050. Water
uses in thermal power plants, whichare the premier water consumers of industrial sector in
India,accountsfor 87.87% (35157.4 MCM) of total industrial water use.
Since thermal power plants are consuming plenty of fresh water resources so TERI has come
up with a policy brief for thermal power plants. After auditing some thermal power plants in
India, it has been found that there is a potential for saving of approximately 61% of fresh
water use by industries. Furthermore, the findings from field visit to one of the thermal power
plants also illustrated water use inefficiency in Indian thermal power plants. The data from
the sample power plant shows 39,000 m3
/day (equals to 84.5 million INR) that could be
circulated after treatment.
Even though the findings from the evaluation of sample thermal power plant and TERI data
is not sufficient to give comprehensive assertion of the water use efficiency of Indian thermal
power plants and industrial sector water use but it delivers an idea of water inefficiency.
This thesis proposes different recommendations to reduce fresh water consumption in
industrial sector, more specifically thermal power plants in India.
Key words: Water use efficiency, Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Industrial sector, Thermal power
plant.
