Energetic and economic cost of nuclear heat - impact on the cost of desalination

An exploratory study has been carried out to evaluate the cost of heat supplied by a pressurized water reactor type to thermal desalination processes. In the context of this work, simplified models have been developed to describe the thermodynamics of power conversion, the energetics of multi-effect evaporation (MED), and the costs of electricity and heat co-generated by the dual-purpose power plant. An application of these models shows that, contrary to widespread belief, (nuclear-powered) MED and seawater reverse osmosis are comparable in terms of energy effectiveness. Process heat can be produced, in fact, by a relatively small increase in the core power. As fuel represents just a fraction of the cost of nuclear electricity, the increase in fuel-related expenses is expected to have limited impact on power generation economics. (authors)