Spatial Relationships of Water Resources with Energy Consumption at Coal Mining Operations in China

The spatial characterization and regional differences of water use in China’s coal mines were investigated based on a high spatial resolution mine site dataset, and their spatial synergic relationships with energy consumption were explored using a geographic weighted regression model. There were significant and obvious regional differences in water use in coal production. Most coal-related water withdrawal occurs in Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Anhui, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia provinces, accounting for ≈ 73% of the nation’s total energy-related water withdrawal. The cities of Erdos, HulunBuir, Yulin, Shuozhou, and Changzhi have the largest coal-related water consumption, ≈ 36% of the nation’s total, while large coal-related wastewater discharges are mostly concentrated in Shaanxi, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, and Inner Mongolia provinces, and sporadically in Guizhou Province. There was a considerable positive correlation between consumptive water use and energy consumption in coal production. This study provides a spatially integrated technology to coordinate regional energy and water plans, identify regions suffering the most severe impacts, and can serve as a reference for the transition of coal resource-type cities.