MERSIN, Türkiye, December 14. It is technically possible to use the hot water from the nuclear power plants for heating buildings, Keith Everhart, Energy Analyst at the International Energy Agency said, Trend reports.
The remark was made during the Journalist Workshop 2023 in Türkiye's city of Mersin, focused on the technical and economic aspects of various types of clean energy sources, as well as how they might interact in future low-carbon energy systems.
Everhart noted that the International Energy Agency did try to model using the nuclear power plant for heating in the net zero emissions scenarios.
"In our attempts to create net zero scenarios, we considered modeling this specific aspect. However, our estimation indicated that achieving this goal would demand either a substantial benefit or a situation where the value of heat generated is less than that of electricity. This would necessitate an exceptionally inexpensive nuclear power plant capable of providing both services or the need for a power plant designed specifically for this purpose at an incredibly low cost," he said.
IEA representative added that the agency's observations revealed alternative methods for supplying heat with low carbon emissions, primarily through carbon capture, which generally proves to be a more cost-effective option.
However, he noted that this assessment isn't static as circumstances could change in the future.
"From a technical standpoint, achieving this objective is certainly feasible. However, based on our analysis, the economic viability seems less favorable compared to utilizing the resource for generating electricity," he explained.
The UK New Nuclear Watch Institute, in cooperation with the Nuclear Industry Association and Türkiye's Sustainable 'Enerji Projeler' company, is holding a Journalist Workshop 2023 in the Turkish city of Mersin. The workshop is aimed at addressing issues of nuclear energy development in times of the changing climate.