Energy and Natural Resources
15 min read
© MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP - Energy production requires water and rare metals. The photo shows the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia, a substantial lithium reserve.
Energy industries require a wide variety of natural resources, including , oil and gas, of course, but also large quantities of water and rare metals. The amount of water consumed is particularly significant. As well as the role it plays in the hydroelectric sector, water is also used to cool various thermal plants, help extract oil and gas and produce plant matter for biofuels. This growing consumption is in addition to the water used by the world’s population for their needs and activities, such as drinking and domestic water, water needed for farming, and the water used by all industries and services. Some 10% of water withdrawals are specifically for the energy sector. In addition, innovative technology in energy systems draws on more than 50 metals. Securing the availability of these metals in the 21stcentury, in a world dominated by the digital revolution and , is a major challenge for the global economy.
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Energy and Water Are Closely Intertwined
Water is a vital resource for the majority of energy industries, used in electricity generation (to cool down power plants), fossil fuel extraction and oil refining, but also for the irrigation of crops grown to produce biofuels. Finding a way to manage this water sustainably is essential at a time when the world’s water resources are already under increasing stress due to population growth and global warming.
Energy and Water Are Closely Intertwined
Water is a vital resource for the majority of energy industries, used in electricity generation (to cool down power plants), fossil fuel extraction and oil refining, but also for the irrigation of crops grown to produce biofuels. Finding a way to manage this water sustainably is essential at a time when the world’s water resources are already under increasing stress due to population growth and global warming.
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