Renewable energy key to tackling global water crisis -IEA

The International Energy Agency is seeking the reduction of the amount of water used in generating energy across the globe.

In place of fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal, the IEA said embracing renewable energies like wind and solar panels would reduce water use in the energy sector.

In a documentary to commemorate the 2024 World Water Day held on Friday, the agency noted that energy consumes a substantial amount of water, even as the world suffers a huge water problem.

“The world has a huge water problem. If you are one of the one-third of the world’s population that does not face water scarcity for at least one month a year, then you can consider yourself lucky, the IEA stated.

According to the organisation, it was estimated that the global energy system withdrew about 370 billion cubic metres of water in 2021.

“If you want to put it in terms of swimming pools, it will be about 150 million Olympic swimming pools. That’s perhaps more than there are swimming pools in the world,” it said.

It was explained that as energy demand goes up, it is likely that the demand for fresh water will also go up.

“We need water for cooling when we produce fossil fuels, we need water to refine critical minerals that go into some clean energy technologies like batteries, or wind generators. Some of these clean energy technologies that have low emissions like concentrated solar power carbon capture or storage or nuclear power plants, all have relatively high water footprints.

“If we transition to a system that relies more on wind and more on solar panels, then water use by the energy sector is going to decrease,” the agency noted.

It added that when there is competition for water, people will come first, stressing that if there is a water shortage, one of the first things that could be cut is water for energy for cooling.

“The energy sector needs to be prepared to use less energy so that it is not constrained in its capacity to deliver reliable energy,” IEA warned.

The According reports that the IEA had been calling for a transition from fossil fuels to alternative cleaner sources of energy.

However, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and some African countries said the world would still depend on fossil fuels to meet its energy needs.