Freshwater use for the production of selected minerals and fuels

Sources

IEA analysis based on Jiang et al. (2020) (lithium); Marx et al. (2018) (Rare earths); Farjana, Huda and Mahmud (2019) (copper); Schornagel et al. (2012) (conventional fuels); Kondash, Lauer and Vengosh (2019) (unconventional oil and gas); Government of Canada (2016) (oil sands)."

Notes

These are representative values based on literature review and expert consultations, water use can vary significantly by facility and region depending on the technologies employed and water availability. Water use generally reflects withdrawals (the volume of water removed from a source), which are always greater than or equal to water consumption (the volume withdrawn from a source that is not returned and, thus, is no longer available for other users).