Dynamic changes in water use patterns of coal power generation during China's energy transition

Soaring electricity demand and rapid development of power generation technology are substantially reshaping the water use patterns associated with coal power generation. The evolution of water use patterns that pose a threat to freshwater availability in China, as well as their variation across different geographic regions, remains inadequately understood. In this study, we compiled spatiotemporally-explicit data from 2011 to 2021 on freshwater consumption and withdrawal for coal-fired electric power generation in China to explore the factors driving these changes and provide the detailed spatial distribution information of freshwater usage at a grid level. Results indicate contrasting trends: while withdrawal volume decreased by 3.9 x 109 m3 yr-1 , consumption volume increased by 8.1 x 108 m3 yr-1 . This research also highlights the regional disparities in the impacts of power generation technology improvement on freshwater resources. The tension between coal power production and freshwater resources has been alleviated in the "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei". However, it has intensified in several arid regions of the northwest. These results help prioritize geo-targeted efforts to balance power system decarbonization and water usage, which collectively affect the regional sustainable development.