Nuclear Engineering International
Summary
Although practical experience of deploying small reactors is thin on the ground, an analysis tool presented by INL in a new report aims to reveal the economic case for deployment in microgrid applications.
The Net-Zero Microgrid Program Project report: Small Reactors in Microgrids, details the most important technical and economic considerations for can assessment of the costs and operational characteristics that inform the investment case for small reactors. As a result, the model can be used for analysing multiple scenarios to establish metrics for cost-competitive and zero carbon microgrids that are either connected to the grid or islanded systems.
The INL assessment notes that small reactors have unique cost and operational characteristics that differentiate them from other generation technologies commonly employed in microgrids. These characteristic features include, but are not limited to, extended refuelling cycles, decommissioning costs, modes of power variation, and combined heat and power (CHP) operations. The INL authors says these need to be recognised when modeling them as generators in microgrids. These characteristics must be accounted for in microgrid dispatch and planning decisions as they interact with loads, storage, and other generation technologies
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