Energy production accounts for 44 per cent of the EU’s total water use, ahead of agriculture (24 per cent), the public water supply (21 per cent) and industry (11 per cent).
The report says that wind energy uses little water to generate clean electricity compared with nuclear, coal and gas-fired power stations in Europe, which use 4.5 billion cubic meters of water a year, mainly for cooling purposes.
EWEA is urging heads of government meeting on 20th-21st March at the European Council to take this into account when they formulate energy and climate change policies.
Jennifer Webber, RenewableUK’s director of external affairs, said: “Water is a very precious resource – water restrictions were imposed in the UK in the summer of 2012 in areas hit by drought. One of the many benefits of wind energy is that it requires hardly any water to keep generating.
“This report is a timely reminder of the environmental impact of other technologies which use vast amounts of water for cooling. When Governments set energy policy, they should take this into account – it’s not just the carbon footprint that matters, but also the water swallowed up by these other thirsty generators.”