Load following of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) by cogeneration of hydrogen: A techno-economic analysis

Locatelli, Giorgio; Boarin, Sara; Fiordaliso, Andrea; Ricotti, Marco Enrico

doi:10.1016/j.energy.2018.01.041

Cited by 86 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The capability to adjust a plant's power production to respond to variations in electricity demand is termed load following. Several advocates have argued that SMRs are capable of load following [56], [91]- [94]. Some of these authors refer to the ability to change output over relatively long periods of time, for example, between night and day.…”

Section: Can Smrs Support Electrical Grids With Large Fractionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Small Modular and Advanced Nuclear Reactors: A Reality Check

Ramana

2021

IEEE Access

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Nuclear power has been declining in importance over the last quarter century, with its share of global electrical energy generation decreasing from 17.5 percent in 1996 to around 10 percent in 2019. Small modular and advanced nuclear reactors have been proposed as potential ways of dealing with the problemsspecifically economic competitiveness, risk of accidents, link to proliferation and production of wasteconfronting nuclear power technology. This perspective article examines whether these new designs can indeed solve these problems, with a particular focus on the economic challenges. It briefly discusses the technical challenges confronting advanced reactor designs and the many decades it might take for these to be commercialized, if ever. The article explains why the higher construction and operational costs per unit of electricity generation capacity will make electricity from small modular reactors more expensive than electricity from large nuclear power plants, which are themselves not competitive in today's electricity markets. Next, it examines the potential savings from learning and modular construction, and explains why the historical record suggests that these savings will be inadequate to compensate for the economic challenges resulting from the lower generation capacity. It then critically examines arguments offered by advocates of these technologies about job creation and other potential uses of energy generated from these plants to justify subsidizing and constructing these kinds of nuclear plants. It concludes with an assessment of the markets for these technologies, suggesting that these are inadequate to justify constructing the necessary manufacturing facilities.

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Section: Can Smrs Support Electrical Grids With Large Fractionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Small modular reactor advocates propose that the energy not utilized to produce electricity is used for other purposes, such as desalination [97]- [99], or co-generating hydrogen [91], [100]. Such strategies are also proposed by advocates for renewable energy sources [101]- [107].…”

Section: Can Smrs Support Electrical Grids With Large Fractionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small Modular and Advanced Nuclear Reactors: A Reality Check

Ramana

2021

IEEE Access

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“…A techno- Figure 3. Main steps in the nuclear cogeneration of electricity and heat economic analysis of load following for small modular reactors for hydrogen and electricity was reported by Locatelli et al (2018), while Jaszczur et al (2016) examined the efficiency of producing hydrogen using high temperature nuclear reactors. Environmental studies of nuclear hydrogen production have also been carried out, e.g., Bicer and Dincer (2017) performed a life cycle assessment of nuclear-based hydrogen production.…”

Section: Non-electric Applications Of Nuclear Energymentioning

confidence: 99%

Nuclear Energy: Non-Electric Applications

Rosen

2020

EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RE

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Nuclear energy is often viewed as linked exclusively to electrical power generation. However, the applications for nuclear energy are significantly greater than only electricity, and include cogeneration, district heating and cooling, high-temperature process heating, hydrogen and alternative fuel production, transportation and desalination. These additional applications expand the prospects for nuclear energy notably, and enhance the benefits that can be derived from it, such as reduced environmental impact and climate change mitigation. Interest in non-electric applications of nuclear energy is growing for environmental, economic, security and other reasons. In this paper, non-electric applications of nuclear energy are reviewed, including technological, environmental and economic issues of such applications as well as future prospects and benefits of non-electric applications of nuclear energy.

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“…A higher safety level opens up new opportunities for nuclear energy, including the possibility to construct SMRs in the vicinity of other industrial installations. In many analysis cogeneration systems are examined, where the heat and electricity generated by the nuclear reactor supply technological processes, in particular hydrogen production and storage [4][5][6][7]. Another widely studied process is a desalination of seawater [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

CCGT and small nuclear SMR hybrids system for flexible energy generation

et al. 2019

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Future development of the energy conversion systems will be based on second and third generation technology. Additionally, modern power plants are expected to be able to work in a very wide range of power output. At the same time, frequent and rapid changes in generated power reduce systems lifetime, their average efficiency, and in the case of nuclear energy, introduce additional issues related to nuclear safety. The hybrid energy systems can give at least a partial solution to such challenges. In the present work, a thermodynamic analysis of a hybrid system consisting of a nuclear block powered by Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and a gas-steam block Gas Turbine Combined Cycle (GTCC) was performed. The coupling was made by means of a compressor in a gas block powered by an electric motor and using steam from a nuclear block in the Gas Turbine Combined Cycle steam power plant block. Some promising and challenging results are shown and discussed.

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Load following of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) by cogeneration of hydrogen: A techno-economic analysis

Abstract: This is a repository copy of Load following of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) by cogeneration of hydrogen: A techno-economic analysis.

Cited by 86 publications

References 19 publications

Small Modular and Advanced Nuclear Reactors: A Reality Check

Small Modular and Advanced Nuclear Reactors: A Reality Check

Nuclear Energy: Non-Electric Applications

CCGT and small nuclear SMR hybrids system for flexible energy generation

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