use of nuclear energy for non-electric applications ... y leon.pdf · head of the division of...

© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Dr Sama Bilbao y LeonHead of the Division of Nuclear Technology Development and Economics

Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)

16th INPRO Dialogue Forum on Opportunities and Issues in Non-Electric Applications of Nuclear Energy

12-14 December 2018, Melia Vienna, Austria

Use of Nuclear Energy for Non-Electric ApplicationsSummary of OECD NEA Activities and Findings


NEA: A forum for co-operation

Helping Governments Address Global Challenges

• To assist its member countries in maintaining and further developing, through international co-operation, the scientific, technological and legal bases required for a safe, environmentally sound and economical use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

• To provide authoritative assessments and to forge common understandings on key issues as input to government decisions on nuclear energy policy and to broader OECD policy analyses in areas such as energy and the sustainable development of low-carbon economies.


Global CO2 emissions have continued to grow

Source: OECD/IEA

Global energy-related CO2 emissions

CO2 emissions

Increase in 2017

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35Gt CO2


Even though renewable generation has steadily increased

Source: OECD/IEA


• Low carbon electricity to play a key role in future energy markets– Electrification of transportation – Electrification of the industrial sector– Electrification of buildings (heating/cooling)

• New narrative: Decarbonization of electricity markets– All fuels and all technologies – Energy efficiency– Carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS)– Storage– Nuclear power– Yet, renewables (Wind and Solar) are expected to lead

• New challenges– Need for improved infrastructures to ensure interconnectivity – Need flexibility - interconnectivity is not enough– Need market mechanisms/signals to invest in new flexibilities & capacity– Large level of coordination in policy and regulation

Future of energy markets: Integration

Graphic: Courtesy of EPRI


Nuclear power plants can be flexible …

Courtesy of Électricité de France (EDF)

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Courtesy of Électricité de France (EDF)

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Power history of a sample French PWR reactor

Whole cycle 10-day period around Christmas

Source: EDF and OECD/NEA

Fresh WaterDistrict

Heating

Industrial

HeatHydrogen

… but need revenue when not producing electricity


Attribute Sub-Attribute Benefits

Operational Flexibility

Maneuverability Load following

Compatibility with Hybrid Energy Systems and Polygeneration

Economic operation with increasing penetration of intermittent generation, alternative missions

Diversified Fuel Use Economics and security of fuel supply

Island OperationSystem resiliency, remote power, micro-grid,

emergency power applications

Deployment Flexibility

Scalability Ability to deploy at scale needed

Siting Ability to deploy where needed

Constructability Ability to deploy on schedule and on budget

Product Flexibility

Electricity Reliable, dispatchable power supply

Industrial Heat Reliable, dispatchable process heat supply

District Heating Reliable, dispatchable district heating supply

Desalination Reliable, dispatchable fresh water supply

Hydrogen Reliable, dispatchable fresh water supply

Radioisotopes Unique or high demand isotopes supply

Expanded Concept of Flexibility for Future Nuclear Reactors

Source: Adapted from EPRI


Summary of Recent OECD NEA Work


• Findings and Recommendations:

– If the potential of non-electric applications of nuclear energy is so high,

why has its deployment been so limited?

– Limited data, market information, technology assessment not

comprehensive preliminary findings & recommendations.

1. Need to understand better the markets & increase communication with

stakeholders

2. Establishing a interest group (with links to developing countries/markets)

3. Depending on demand (distributed vs. centralised), nuclear technology

solutions will vary (small (modular) reactors vs large units). Nuclear energy

sector needs to be involved in the development of “end applications”.

4. Need for demonstration projects.

5. Competitiveness of non-electric products is essential

6. Involvement of governments & international co-operation

Non-electricity products of Nuclear Energy (2004)


• Proceedings of 4 Information

Exchange Meetings:– 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2009

– 2009: Contents:

I. Programme Overview

II. High-Temperature Electrolysis

III. Thermochemical sulphur process

IV. Thermochemical copper chloride and calcium

bromide processes

V. Economics and market analysis of

hydrogen production and use

VI. Safety aspects of nuclear hydrogen production

Nuclear production of Hydrogen (2000-2009)


• Nuclear H2 production – a utility perspective. (US Utility Entergy)• Belief that HTGR can compete with fossil fuel for process heat supply, and that

nuclear H2 production can become competitive on the bulk market (with respect to

steam methane reforming)

• Interest of Entergy also related to fact that its NPP sites are located near existing H2

pipeline infrastructures.

• Market assessment for process heat applications justify further RD&D

• BUT commercial viability nuclear H2 production still unclear (lack of specificity in cost

and economic modelling) uncertainties in investment and O&M cost assumptions

AND operational & deployments risks.

Economics and market analysis of hydrogen production and use

© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 12

2015 IEA/NEA Nuclear Technology Roadmap on nuclear cogeneration


Enhance security of energy supply

Improve energy (fuel) efficiencies

Reduce CO2 emissions and air pollution

Minimize heat losses (2/3 heat wasted in current

nuclear steam cycles)

(non-nuclear) CHP since long applied in

many industrial sectors

Why nuclear cogeneration?

Potential in 4 areas: (i) desalination (ii) district

heating in residential/commercial areas (iii) industrial

process heat (iv) fuel synthesis (e.g. Hydrogen)


Application Level of maturity Possible new projects & recent activity

Challenges

District Heating Demonstrated at industrial scale & currently operating (Russia, Switzerland, …)

Option for future new build in Finland or Poland, feasibilitystudies in France for coupling existing NPPs to DH systems

Differences between electricity & heat markets. Economic assessment.

Desalination Tested at industrial scale in the past (BN-350)Small small scale applications in NPPs to supply fresh water to plant

Huge needs in the future (projects in the MENA region: Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia)

Complexity and scale of investments in water infrastructures.Public acceptance?Long term?

High temperature process heat

Demonstrated at industrial scale for low temp. steamapplications.

R&D HTR and cogeneration

NHDD project in Korea “clean steel”, NGNP Alliance & EU’s NC2I collaboration, PolandSynthetic fuel production

Business model (nuclear operator industrial application operator)Licensing, safety, public acceptance, Long term

Hydrogen production

Demonstrated at lab scale for thermochemical cycles (HTTR) and HTE

NHDD in Korea, HTTR in Japan, on-going R&D (Gen IV)

Hydrogen economy?Competition with electric mobility?

Nuclear hybridenergy system

R&D on low carbon energy systems involving nuclear & variable renewables

Assessment of services provided by nuclear (electricity, storage, heat)

Economic assessmentLong term prospects

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NEA Nuclear Cogeneration Activities

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April 2013 – the joint NEA and IAEA workshop on the technical and economic assessment of non-electric applications of nuclear energy (http://www.oecd-nea.org/ndd/workshops/nucogen/)

November 2014 – the NDC supported an activity to assess the role and economics of nuclear cogeneration in a low carbon energy future NEA Programme of Work

Objective and Scope• To develop a methodology for assessing the economics of nuclear cogeneration and to

identify major challenges (technical, economic, regulatory and societal) that the development/deployment of nuclear cogeneration face (and the costs to overcome these).

• The methodology to assess the costs and benefits of cogeneration processes should be generic as much as possible, to be applied to various applications (district heating, desalination, high temperature applications, hydrogen production) and to various nuclear reactor technologies (LWR, HTR etc.).

• The benefits of the reduction of GHG emissions from nuclear cogeneration will be assessed.

http://www.oecd-nea.org/ndd/workshops/nucogen/


Experts Group• The first meeting was held on the 30 June-1 July 2015 at the NEA Headquarters.

Representatives from Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Poland, Korea, Slovenia, and the United States as well as the International Atomic Energy Agencyattended the meeting.

• The 2nd meeting was held on 3-4 February 2016 at the OECD Conference Centre.

Representatives from Canada, Finland, France, Japan, Poland, Slovenia, Turkey (observer), the United Kingdom and the United States as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency and International Energy Agency attended the meeting.

• The 3rd meeting was held on 22-23 September 2016 at the NEA in Boulogne.

Canada, Finland, France, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovenia,Spain (observer), Switzerland and IAEA (new members)

Sent their apologies: Czech Republic, United Kingdom, United States, IEA

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Overall summary

▪ Proven record of operating non-electric applications of NE (district heating

& desalination)

▪ In other areas, feasibility studies, lab scale or prototype testing exist – but

no significant industrial experience

▪ Overall efficiency & economics of NE can be improved by developing &

selling non-electric products.

▪ Also benefit in terms of reduction in GHG emissions (but needs to be

quantified)

▪ Indications that markets for non-electric products exist

▪ But work needed:▪ economic modelling

▪ licensing issues, safety considerations

▪ operational issues

▪ assessment of hybrid systems involving NPPs and RES, with NPPs operating

at full power, producing electricity & other products

▪ lack of information to general public & decision-makers


District Heating

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Process Heat (chemical, oil, bio-refineries, H2)

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Desalination

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SAFETY

ECONOMICS

PUBLIC

ACCEPTANCE

SUSTAINABILITY

Key factors for nuclear cogeneration success


Conclusions (1)

▪ Over 750 reactor-years of non-electric applications of nuclear

energy– though not always in a commercial / liberalised

market environment.

▪ Selling commercially both electricity and non-electric

products remains a challenge. Some economic assessment

tools exist but standardised methodologies for non-electric

applications missing.

▪ Significant development of non-electric applications of nuclear

energy are not expected in the short to mid-term, especially

if/where fossil-based alternatives (gas) remain cheap.

▪ Carbon constraints / pricing will help improve the

competitiveness of nuclear cogeneration

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Conclusions (2)

▪ Cogeneration:

o Can improve the overall efficiency of NPPs;

o Opens different streams of revenues to operators

(economic assessment)

o Has a potential to play in future low carbon energy

systems, where nuclear would provide electricity & storage

through production of fuels.

▪ New issues associated with this flexible mode of operation

would need to be addressed (safety, operational, licensing)

▪ Work needed to provide information to general public and

policy makers

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Ongoing Work

• “On the role and economics of nuclear cogeneration in a low carbon

energy future”

– Report expected early 2019

• “Advanced reactors and future energy market needs”

– A workshop involving industry stake-holders (including from the grid, storage and

renewable technology sectors) - 2-3 April 2019

– Final meeting of Expert Group - 4-5 April 2019.

– Target report by end 2019.


• Funded by Voluntary Contributions

• Preparation and publication of the annual

Mo-99 Demand and Capacity Projection

report series

• Coordinate communications among the

current members of the group should the

need arise

• Follow-up work & analysis on the joint HLG-

MR & OECD Health Division project of

Medical Uses and Full Cost Recovery

High Level Group on Medical Radioisotopes (HLG-MR)

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Thank you for your attention

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