Opportunities to Reduce Water Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Chinese Power Sector

The document evaluates over 20 combinations of power-generating technologies and cooling systems to identify strategies for reducing the environmental footprint of China's power sector. It highlights energy efficiency as the most cost-effective and impactful strategy for reducing both emissions and water use. While wind and run-of-river hydroelectric power are identified as low-impact alternatives, the report warns that certain low-carbon technologies, such as Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), can significantly increase water consumption. The World Resources Institute recommends that China implement sectoral water withdrawal quotas and align technology deployment with regional water availability.

• Energy-efficiency measures and technology are the most effective and cost-efficient strategy for simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water impacts, as they increase available electricity supply through consumption efficiency rather than increasing plant capacity.
• Among renewable technologies in China, wind power and run-of-river hydroelectric power are distinguished by their relatively low costs and low environmental impacts.
• Certain renewable and low-carbon technologies can be water-intensive; specifically, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants can require twice the water of coal-fired plants using the same closed-loop cooling system.
• Implementing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in pulverized-coal-fired power plants can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 90 percent, but results in a 90 percent increase in capital costs, a 15 to 30 percent drop in power generation efficiency, and a doubling of water consumption.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Opportunities to Reduce Water Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Chinese Power Sector. https://www.wri.org/research/opportunities-reduce-water-use-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-chinese-power-sector

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Opportunities to Reduce Water Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Chinese Power Sector. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/opportunities-reduce-water-use-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-chinese-power-sector.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Opportunities to Reduce Water Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Chinese Power Sector |url=https://www.wri.org/research/opportunities-reduce-water-use-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-chinese-power-sector |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendopportunities, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Opportunities to Reduce Water Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Chinese Power Sector}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/opportunities-reduce-water-use-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-chinese-power-sector}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }