Analysis of the driving forces for changes in a regional energy sector's water consumption

Development within the energy sector is notably limited by scarce water resources in the energy bases of northwest China. Analyzing changes to the water consumption within the energy sector and the driving forces behind these changes offers an important way to understand the water-energy nexus and provide recommendation for the stakeholders. Taking the typical energy base of Ningxia in northwest China as an example, an empirical study is performed by analyzing changes in the direct and indirect water consumption of a regional energy sector using the input–output method. The driving forces of changes in the water consumption of the regional energy sector is identified using the LMDI (Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index) method. The results reveal the following: (1) In the period of 2011–2016, the water consumption of Ningxia's energy sector exhibited negative growth, and its direct and indirect water consumption decreased by 1.5914 million m³ and 11.664 million m³, respectively. (2) The increase in water-use efficiency in energy production was the primary driving force for the decrease in water consumption, followed by the decrease in total energy production. (3) Energy production restructuring from coal products to petroleum and electric power products resulted in an increase in water consumption. (4) The water-use stress faced by Ningxia's energy sector may be alleviated only by using alternative fuels to generate electric power whenever possible and continuously strengthening the popularization of water conservation techniques in Ningxia's energy sector. The above results provide scientific support for promoting sustainable economic and social development for typical energy bases in northwest China. Furthermore, the study proposes a method for quantitatively analyzing the contribution of multiple factors leading to changes in the water consumption within the energy sector.