"Another possible headache is the industrial water...

"Another possible headache is the industrial water supply...However, as the project develops, greater supplies of water will be needed. That has prompted Xilin Gol League government to conduct research on a desalinization program for sea water and a transfer program."

"Wang’s plan is to first prove the engineering and economic feasibility of the Bohai-Xinjiang Water Transfer project by transporting water to the coal fields of the Xilin Gol League, in Inner Mongolia, where great deposits of lignite await mining. Coal mining, however, is water intensive: each ton of coal extracted from the ground is washed with four to five cubic meters of water. Inner Mongolia, however, is desperate for water.

Many of the nearly 1,400 lakes in the region have dried up, according to China Daily. The Shenhua group, a coal miner, gave a nod to the 10 yuan per ton price for water Wang quoted the company’s operations in Inner Mongolia."

"We want only water-saving and environmental friendly projects," said Xin Wenyin, deputy head of the Xilingol League.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-06/01/content_12625422.htm

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/2010-10/20/content_11435443.htm

http://trendsasia.asia/2011/03/15/analysis/