Lok Sabha Question No. 889 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-20
Subject: Water Requirement for Thermal Plants
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: KANWAR SINGH TANWAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.889 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2017

## WATER REQUIREMENT FOR THERMAL PLANTS

## 889.   SHRI KANWAR SINGH TANWAR:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

(a) whether  thermal  power  plants  require  large  quantities  of  water during power generation;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether  thermal  power  plants  have  been  set  up  in  water  scarce areas of Uttar Pradesh making those areas more water scarce;

- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the remedial measures proposed to be taken by the Government in the matter?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR POWER, COAL, NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND MINES

( SHRI  PIYUSH GOYAL )

(a) & (b) :  Water is one of the key input requirements for thermal power generation.  Water is required for process cooling in the condenser, ash disposal, removal of heat generated in plant auxiliaries, boiler make up for steam generation and various other plant consumptive uses like service water,  potable  water  etc.  Typical  consumptive  water  requirement  for  a coal based thermal power plant with wet cooling tower system is around 3.0  m3 /MWh.    For  gas  based  combined  cycle  power  plant,  the  typical consumptive water requirement with wet cooling tower system is around 1.4 m3/MWh. The major part of the consumptive water goes in meeting the cooling tower make-up requirement of the plant.

...........2.

(c)  to (e) :  As reported by M/s Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam (UPRVUNL), M/s Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Ltd. (NUPPL) and M/s NTPC Ltd., no operational/under construction (Central Sector/State Sector) thermal  power  plants  have  been  set  up  in  water  scarce  areas  of  Uttar Pradesh.

The  measures  adopted  to  reduce  consumption  of  water  in Thermal Power Plants are as below:

- i) Ash water recirculation system- Water from ash pond is recovered and reused in the ash handling system.
2. ii) Dry  fly  ash  handling  system  &  High  concentration  slurry  disposal system (HCSD)- These ash handling techniques reduce the ash handling water requirement thereby reducing the water consumption.
3. iii) Operating  cooling  towers  at  higher  Cycle  of  Concentration  (COC). This reduces the waste water generated by the plant.
4. iv) Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP)-  Treating the waste water produced in the plant and reuse it for low grade applications like ash handling, coal dust suppression and gardening etc.
- v) Zero  water  discharge  system  -  Suitably  treating  the  total  waste water  produced  in  the  plant  with  no  discharge  of  water  from  plant boundary so as to reduce the consumptive water requirement of the power plant.

Over the years,  consumptive  water requirement  for  thermal  power plants for closed cycle CW system has been reduced from about 7 m3/MWh to about 3m3/MWh.

- vi) Provisions for use of treated sewage water by thermal power plants located  within  a  distance  of  50  km  radius  of  municipality/  local  bodies have been made in the Tariff Policy, 2016.

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