Fish impingement and prevention seen in the light of population dynamics

Abstract

Power plant and other industries that have once-through cooling water systems withdraw large amounts of surface water from adjacent water bodies such as rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal areas. Electricity generation accounts for over 50% of all water usage in the industrialised countries and for almost 75% of industrial usage (Using water well? Studies of power stations and the aquatic environment, 2003). Thermal power plants require 40-60 m3/s cooling water per 1,000 MWe. The cooling water intake structures are specifically designed to provide this amount of cooling water under all circumstances, and many different types of configurations have been developed since the early beginning of electricity production.