U.S. Department of Energy Programs to Evaluate Applications of Heat from Nuclear Reactors

The U.S. Department of Energy program is evaluating the applications of nuclear heat to industrial heat supply, district heating, desalting, and waste heat utilization. The approach emphasizes the study of energy generation at specific sites with well-developed technologies, including light water reactors and coal combustion. Co-generation of electric power and steam for industrial use is being evaluated both to serve individual customers and for a large thermal grid supplying many customers. Integral pressurized water conceptual designs rated at 365 and 1200 MW(thermal) have been developed to support these applications.