Problems and Solutions Concerning Water Use in Power Plants in Basrah Governorate in 2023: A Study in Industrial Geography

Abstract

This study aims to examine the principal problems and challenges associated with water use in power plants in Basrah Governorate, as these problems constitute significant obstacles to the development and operation of these facilities. The study also examines the quantities of water consumed by the various power plants. At Al-Hartha Steam Power Plant, water consumption amounted to 4,000 m³/day for steam generation and 1,536,000 m³/day for cooling. At Al-Najibiya Steam Power Plant, 3,360 m³/day was used for steam generation and 819,600 m³/day for cooling.

In gas-fired power plants, water is primarily used for cooling. Al-Najibiya Power Plant consumed 1,500 m³/day, while the old and new Khor Al-Zubair power plants each consumed 100 m³/day. Al-Rumaila Power Plant consumed 1,500 m³/day, Shatt al-Basrah Power Plant 4,000 m³/day, Al-Shuaiba Power Plant 50 m³/day, and the Petrochemical Power Plant 32 m³/day. Water consumption at the Qurna Diesel Power Plant amounted to 50 m³/day.

These problems and constraints require those responsible for the power plants to develop appropriate solutions. Field investigation identified several major problems affecting these facilities, including declining water levels, water salinity, surface-water pollution, thermal pollution, the transportation of water to power plants, climatic conditions, and capital availability.

The study seeks to highlight the problems affecting power plants in Basrah Governorate and their role in impeding the development of the power-generation sector. Several research approaches were employed, including the systematic approach, through which a specific research topic was selected—namely, the problems and solutions associated with the use of water in electricity generation in Basrah Governorate—and the descriptive approach, which relied on both fieldwork and desk-based research concerning the governorate’s power plants during 2023.