Economics and Potential Use of Low-Temperature Nuclear Heat

Abstract

The economic security of the future energy supply requires the introduction of new energy technologies. The reason is the gradual exhaustion of the fossil energy carriers and the fossil emissions. In countries with population density, district heating is advantageous. For reasons of economical convenience and the conservation of fossil energy reserves, nuclear district heat coupling is better than fossil district heat coupling. District heat can provide the industry only with ∼200°C; therefore, the potential of district heat in the residential and commercial sectors of consumption is larger than in industry. High-temperature reactors enable the expansion of the central supply of energy by using district heat and/or synthetic gas.