| POWER PLANT PERFORMANCE


2050, as part of a low-carbon generation mix. Over the last five years we have seen more governments making increasingly strong commitments to reach net zero on or before that date. Against such targets the need to meet, and potentially exceed, the Harmony Goal is clear. To achieve this goal the number of new reactor starts must increase, from the 5-10 that have started each year in recent years, up to 30-35 a year. This is a practical target, matching the grid connection rates achieved in the mid- 1980s.


The green light should be given to the many new build


projects that could start soon. They will provide jobs, stimulate investment, and deliver low-carbon electricity potentially into the 22nd century. These new projects will take advantage of the capacity, know-how and supply chains rebuilt by recent FOAK nuclear projects. They can capitalise on the window of opportunity to lower nuclear construction costs created by the lessons learned from these recent projects. Current regulatory requirements can present significant


challenges to the deployment of new nuclear projects. This is a particular burden for new technologies, including small modular reactors. Governments, regulators, and industry must work together to accelerate the deployment of new nuclear projects, so that nuclear technologies can maximise their contribution to help decarbonise generation and other sectors beyond electricity supply. More than 75% of the cost of nuclear electricity is due


to financing costs. If nuclear plants are to be deployed on the scale required to achieve net zero by 2050 they will need access to affordable financing. Government commitment to nuclear energy will be essential to instil investor confidence, incentivise long term planning and attract private and public financing. ESG and climate financing criteria must be technology neutral, science- based and should be applied consistently to all economic activities. To achieve net zero economy-wide will not only require


decarbonisation of the electricity generation sector, but for all emissions to be eliminated, accounted for through offsets or compensated by negative-emission processes. Against such a target, nuclear technology will need to do


far more than just decarbonise electricity. One case study in the Performance Report says steam from China’s Haiyang nuclear plant is being used to supply district heating — just one of the growing numbers of reactors being used for heating as well as electricity generation. For industrial process heat, a much higher temperature


supply is needed. This is where a new generation of reactor designs could play a part. They could supply the heat needed for numerous industrial processes, such as glass or cement manufacturing. Both conventional and next generation reactors could be used to make hydrogen, either through electrolysis or thermochemical decomposition of water.


Nuclear energy is the only low-carbon energy source


that can produce low-carbon electricity and heat. The potential for nuclear energy to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors of the economy is an opportunity that cannot be dismissed. ■


100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0


1970s 1980s 1990s Year Source: World Nuclear Association and IAEA Power Reactor Information Service (PRIS) Above, figure 1: Long-term trends in capacity factors 100 80 60 40 20 0 13 5 7 9 11


13 15 17 19 21 23 25 Age of reactor (years)


27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 475149 2000s 2010s


>90%


80-90% 70-80% 60-70% 50-60% 40-50% 0-40%


2020


Source: World Nuclear Association and IAEA Power Reactor Information Service (PRIS) Above, figure 2: Mean capacity factor 2016-2020 by age of reactor


400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0


Years of operation


50 – 59 40 – 49 30 – 39 20 – 29 10 – 19 0 – 09


Year Source: World Nuclear Association and IAEA Power Reactor Information Service (PRIS) Above, figure 3: Evolution of reactor ages www.neimagazine.com | November 2021 | 27


Capacity of Reactors (MWe)


Capacity factor (%)


Capacity factor %


1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006


2008 2010 2012


2014 2016 2018 2020


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