Decarbonisation demand could see regional water deficits by 2030

(by Karma Loveday)

The water required for hydrogen and carbon capture projects will likely push some UK regions into a deficit as early as 2030, putting both decarbonisation and wider growth at risk. That’s according to a study commissioned by retailer Wave from Durham University.

The research assessed how much water will be needed to reach net zero by 2050 across England’s five largest industrial clusters: Humberside, North West England, Tees Valley, the Solent, and the Black Country. Among the findings were: 

• Blue and green hydrogen and carbon capture will result in an additional demand of 860m litres a day by 2050.

• Decarbonisation within the Humberside industrial cluster is likely to push the Anglian Water region into deficit by 2030, leading to a total deficit of 130m litres of water per day by 2050. There will be a less severe shortfall in the Yorkshire Water region.

• The North West industrial cluster is projected to generate a deficit of around 70m litres of water per day by 2030, but planned strategies by United Utilities are expected to create a surplus by 2045.

• Planned activities associated with the Teesside and Black Country industrial clusters are unlikely to push Northumbrian Water and Severn Trent regions into a water shortfall due to both water companies planning significant water surpluses by 2050.

The study recommended:

• Cross-sector collaboration to align decarbonisation project timelines with local water resource availability. Consideration should also be given to pooling resources to establish regional water hubs, on the basis that shared infrastructure could help projects collectively reduce freshwater demand and secure more cost-effective and reliable supplies.

• Decarbonisation project managers should explore technologies to lower water intensity, including water recycling options, improved cooling systems and advanced water treatment.

• Water companies should consider redistributing water resources from regions with projected surpluses, and establish adaptive management strategies to regularly update water demand forecasts based on real-time developments in decarbonisation projects.

Nigel Corfield, industrial and commercial customer director at Wave, said: “Without urgent action, the road to net zero could quite literally dry up.”