Potential for Repowering Inland Coal-Fired Power Plants Using Nuclear Reactors According to the Coal-to-Nuclear Concept

Jakub Ochmann (), Grzegorz Niewiński, Henryk Łukowicz and Łukasz Bartela
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Jakub Ochmann: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Grzegorz Niewiński: Institute of Heat Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 21/25, 00-665 Warsaw, Poland
Henryk Łukowicz: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Łukasz Bartela: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-21

Abstract: The popularity of nuclear power as a high-availability energy source is increasing in countries that currently rely on coal-based energy. The growing use of renewable energy sources emphasizes the need for greater energy supply security and grid stability. However, nuclear reactors remain the most expensive commercially available power-generation technology, which limits investment in this field. This paper explores the feasibility of investing in Coal-to-Nuclear conversion at selected coal-fired power plant sites in Poland. By converting coal-fired infrastructure, it is possible to reduce the financial cost of constructing a nuclear power plant. The study included an analysis of hydrological conditions from 2010 to 2023 at selected locations, which determined the potential for siting high-power nuclear reactors. An analytical model was used to calculate the required water intake for cooling, and the results were compared with actual river flow measurements. The findings suggested that constructing an inland nuclear power plant in Poland is feasible while complying with legal standards regarding maximum cooling water temperature. The assessment of the four sites allowed appropriate recommendations to be made concerning further research into the implementation of Generation III reactors.

Keywords: Coal-to-Nuclear; energy transition; nuclear energy; coal-fired power plant; nuclear power plant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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