Reclaiming Water: Assessing the Water Resources Released by the Decommissioning of Lignite Facilities in Western Macedonia

The decommissioning of lignite power plants in Western Macedonia is a key point for the energy transition at a national level in Greece but also marks a turning point for the regional resources management. One of the resources of special interest would be water, a central ingredient in the lignite-powered steam plants, used to propel generators, cool the energy production media and suppress the harmful dust byproducts. The present study investigates the potential of reallocating the released water resources used in the lignite plants and investing water in other activities such as agriculture, public use, tourism or ecosystem reinforcement-restoration, aligned with sustainable development and circular economy rules. The water the plants consumed before decommissioning was estimated based on operators and governmental sources. Different scenarios of alternative use are investigated and presented.