Nuclear and renewables: playing complementary roles in hybrid energy systems

Nuclear and renewables: playing complementary roles in hybrid energy systems

A hybrid energy system combining both nuclear power and renewables can help significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to participants at an event held on the sidelines of the IAEA’s 63rd General Conference.

Hybrid systems could also foster cogeneration for seawater desalination, hydrogen production, district heating, cooling and other industrial applications. Research and innovation, the introduction of appropriate policies and market incentives are an important next step.

“Future energy systems will have to meet considerably stricter requirements not only on GHG emissions but also other pollutants such as sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, mercury, heavy metals and particulates,” said IAEA Acting Director-General Cornel Feruta. “Nuclear power can meet these stringent requirements — and does so competitively.”

Nuclear power can generate enormous amounts of reliable, carbon-free electricity. It works day and night, at all times of the year. This stability is the reason why nuclear power has typically been used as baseload—operating continuously with little if any variation in output.

Some nuclear power plants, however, now contribute to the stability of electricity grids by backing up the intermittent output of renewable sources through flexible operation or load-following—adjusting production as electricity demand fluctuates.

“As the share of intermittent renewable energy systems—mostly solar and wind—increases in power grids, more flexible power generation is needed,” noted Denis Janin, Energy Economist at PreussenElektra, GmbH. “This can take several forms: hydropower, gas-fired power plants, advanced batteries, or nuclear power. In France and Germany, nuclear power load following has been a reality for many years already.”

Original source: IAEA
Published on 18 September 2019