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Title: The Economic Potential of Two Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy Systems

Abstract

Tightly coupled nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems (N-R HESs) are an option that can generate zero-carbon, dispatchable electricity and provide zero-carbon energy for industrial processes at a lower cost than alternatives. N-R HESs are defined as systems that are managed by a single entity and link a nuclear reactor that generates heat, a thermal power cycle for heat to electricity conversion, at least one renewable energy source, and an industrial process that uses thermal and/or electrical energy. This report provides results of an analysis of two N-R HES scenarios. The first is a Texas-synthetic gasoline scenario that includes four subsystems: a nuclear reactor, thermal power cycle, wind power plant, and synthetic gasoline production technology. The second is an Arizona-desalination scenario with its four subsystems a nuclear reactor, thermal power cycle, solar photovoltaics, and a desalination plant. The analysis focuses on the economics of the N-R HESs and how they compare to other options, including configurations without all the subsystems in each N-R HES and alternatives where the energy is provided by natural gas.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1285734
Report Number(s):
NREL/TP-6A50-66073
TRN: US1601675
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 17 WIND ENERGY; HYBRID SYSTEMS; GASOLINE; NATURAL GAS; ENERGY SYSTEMS; REACTORS; WIND POWER PLANTS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DESALINATION PLANTS; PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS; ELECTRIC POWER; CONFIGURATION; CONVERSION; COST; ECONOMICS; SYNTHETIC FUELS; POWER PRODUCTION; nuclear; renewable; hybrid systems; desalination; solar photovoltaics; economics; synthetic gasoline scneario; thermal power; wind power; electricity; clean power; natural gas; REopt

Citation Formats

Ruth, Mark, Cutler, Dylan, Flores-Espino, Francisco, Stark, Greg, Jenkin, Thomas, Simpkins, Travis, and Macknick, Jordan. The Economic Potential of Two Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy Systems. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.2172/1285734.
Ruth, Mark, Cutler, Dylan, Flores-Espino, Francisco, Stark, Greg, Jenkin, Thomas, Simpkins, Travis, & Macknick, Jordan. The Economic Potential of Two Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy Systems. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1285734
Ruth, Mark, Cutler, Dylan, Flores-Espino, Francisco, Stark, Greg, Jenkin, Thomas, Simpkins, Travis, and Macknick, Jordan. 2016. "The Economic Potential of Two Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy Systems". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1285734. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1285734.
@article{osti_1285734,
title = {The Economic Potential of Two Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy Systems},
author = {Ruth, Mark and Cutler, Dylan and Flores-Espino, Francisco and Stark, Greg and Jenkin, Thomas and Simpkins, Travis and Macknick, Jordan},
abstractNote = {Tightly coupled nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems (N-R HESs) are an option that can generate zero-carbon, dispatchable electricity and provide zero-carbon energy for industrial processes at a lower cost than alternatives. N-R HESs are defined as systems that are managed by a single entity and link a nuclear reactor that generates heat, a thermal power cycle for heat to electricity conversion, at least one renewable energy source, and an industrial process that uses thermal and/or electrical energy. This report provides results of an analysis of two N-R HES scenarios. The first is a Texas-synthetic gasoline scenario that includes four subsystems: a nuclear reactor, thermal power cycle, wind power plant, and synthetic gasoline production technology. The second is an Arizona-desalination scenario with its four subsystems a nuclear reactor, thermal power cycle, solar photovoltaics, and a desalination plant. The analysis focuses on the economics of the N-R HESs and how they compare to other options, including configurations without all the subsystems in each N-R HES and alternatives where the energy is provided by natural gas.},
doi = {10.2172/1285734},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1285734}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}