Return to previous page

Energy and water are valuable resources that underpin human prosperity and are, to a large extent, interdependent. Water is ubiquitous in energy production: in power generation; in the extraction, transport and processing of fossil fuels; and, increasingly, in irrigation to grow feedstock crops used to produce biofuels. Similarly, energy is vital to the provision of water, needed to power systems that collect, transport, distribute and treat it. Each faces rising demands and constraints in many regions as a consequence of economic and population growth and climate change, which amplify the mutual vulnerability of energy and water. For the energy sector, constraints on water can challenge the reliability of existing operations and the viability of proposed projects, imposing additional costs for necessary adaptive measures.

This book explores the many roles of water in the energy and fuel industry, employing illustrative case studies and examples. This book also describes water’s application in the production of oil, gas, coal, uranium, biomass, and other raw fuels, and as an energy carrier in the form of hot water and steam.