Global growth in final electricity demand by use in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) Stated Policies Scenario, 2023–2030. Courtesy: IEA, 2024
Next week, the world’s most influential energy conference, CERAWeek, will see more than 10,000 delegates assemble to hear from the industry’s leaders about the future of energy. The conference has traditionally been dominated by oil and gas, but in recent years, nuclear energy has become more prominent—and this year, World Nuclear Association will be there again representing the nuclear sector amid a background of surging interest. Recent shifts in policy, technology, and geopolitics have set the stage for unprecedented demand for nuclear energy—energy that’s abundant, reliable, clean, economical, and secure. With 31 countries across the world now signatories to a declaration to triple nuclear capacity by 2050, demand for nuclear power has never been greater. Nuclear’s resurgence has been best exemplified over the past two years by its emergence as the chosen technology for companies looking to power large artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. These tech companies—large energy users that are committed to climate action—have come to see nuclear energy as the most credible answer to their need for continuous clean electricity. But whilst growth in demand from data centres is significant, it will represent a small fraction of overall electricity demand growth to 2030 (Figure 1) and beyond. Whilst many sectors are increasingly seeking to electrify, much of the energy we use for the foreseeable future will continue to be in a form other than electricity, which represents less than a quarter of final energy consumption (Figure 2).
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2. Shares of energy sources in global final energy consumption, 1980–2021. Courtesy: IEA So that is why World Nuclear Association has been engaging with end-users of energy for several years now, primarily via our own industry working group, the End Energy Users Panel. But this has also involved participating in external forums, and that is why we’re here at CERAWeek—a conference that covers the whole energy sector—to promote the many ways in which nuclear can expand its contribution beyond its traditional provision of electricity, including finding synergies with the oil and gas industry. One of the most underutilized and underappreciated attributes of nuclear energy is its application to provide heat at the same time as electricity. Among clean energy technologies this is a unique proposition. Today’s water-cooled reactors are already doing this, providing low-temperature heat for district heating and desalination, as well as process heat for industrial purposes (see sidebar). But there is huge scope for expansion, particularly in the light of advanced nuclear technologies that can provide high-temperature steam. Nuclear reactors will increasingly be used for cogeneration in heavy industries, as well as the production of hydrogen and synthetic fuels.
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Recent developments and partnerships include:
3. Nuclear power can be used for a variety of purposes including all of the items shown here. Courtesy: World Nuclear Association |
There are significant opportunities for the nuclear and oil and gas industries to collaborate going forward. For example, nuclear reactors could provide the process heat and the electricity needed to decarbonize scope 1 and 2, upstream, midstream, and downstream of oil and gas operations, such as in refining operations. Preserving hydrocarbons for more necessary uses, such as producing plastics for health care, lubricants for machinery, or powering remote and emerging economies, is also a more efficient use of resources. Moreover, nuclear power can support the aim behind the push for electrification of oil and gas operations in the field. For example, in North America, operators and service companies are seeking to make their operations cleaner and reduce noise in drilling, completing, operating, and transporting their products. Nuclear can support in that. Drilling rigs, frack fleets, hydraulic pumps, and compressors can all be powered by electricity from nuclear, either via the grid or a dedicated supply such as a microreactor. CERAWeek will provide a great opportunity for discussion and collaboration. The nuclear industry is entering a period of major growth and has a lot to learn from the oil and gas sector’s expertise, in particular, its consistent delivery of large-scale projects. If you’re attending, please join our discussion and networking reception event on Wednesday, March 12, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. CT, co-hosted with Urenco, and featuring speakers from Google and Dow, on the topic of: Tripling Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050: Unleashing nuclear’s potential to power data centers, refineries, manufacturing, and beyond. —Sama Bilbao y Leon is director general of World Nuclear Association.
Source: Yahoo News
