Hydrological and Environmental Conditions and Implications of the Operation of a Thermal Power Plant with an Open Cooling System—An Example from Poland

Tomasz Walczykiewicz and Mateusz Żelazny
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Tomasz Walczykiewicz: Institute of Meteorology and Water Management—National Research Institute, ul. Podleśna 61, 01-673 Warszawa, Poland
Mateusz Żelazny: Institute of Meteorology and Water Management—National Research Institute, ul. Podleśna 61, 01-673 Warszawa, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-24

Abstract: In Poland, coal-based thermal energy for cooling power plant installations uses a large amount of surface water. Historically, there have been cases of limitations in electricity supply due to low water levels and high temperature of water in rivers. Moreover, environmental requirements limit the possibility of using water resources for cooling purposes, pointing to the necessity to leave inviolable flows in rivers. This raises questions about the future of the operation of thermal power plants with open cooling systems and hence the research undertaken by the authors. The research consisted of a questionnaire survey, hydrological analyses, the impact assessment of climate change on the operation of power plants, and a discussion of technical solutions for water abstraction and power loss analysis in a particular power plant. The results indicate that there are power plants that are more sensitive to hydrological and environmental conditions and the temperature of the water required for cooling. In one case, keeping a power plant in operation requires the maintenance of periodic artificial damming of water. The conclusions from the research indicate that in Poland, regardless of the source of thermal energy, it is necessary to implement only closed cooling circuits.

Keywords: thermal energy; open cooling; water level; climate change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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