go to top scroll for more

System Requirements For Alternative Nuclear Technologies (Phase 3) - Technical assessment of SMR heat extraction for district heat networks - Final Report


Citation Friggens, S., Bell, P. Aufrance, D., Beaumont, R., Cook, D., Kaufmann, C. and Ashley, R. System Requirements For Alternative Nuclear Technologies (Phase 3) - Technical assessment of SMR heat extraction for district heat networks - Final Report, ETI, 2016. https://doi.org/10.5286/UKERC.EDC.000758.
Cite this using DataCite
Author(s) Friggens, S., Bell, P. Aufrance, D., Beaumont, R., Cook, D., Kaufmann, C. and Ashley, R.
Project partner(s) Mott MacDonald
Publisher ETI
DOI https://doi.org/10.5286/UKERC.EDC.000758
Download NUC_ST2033_9.pdf document type
Abstract Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs) are generally defined as nuclear reactors with a maximum electrical output below 300MWe. They are considered to have characteristics that are distinct from conventional large reactors and proponents claim that SMRs could offer a number of benefits to the UK’s future energy system, including the reliable provision of low-carbon electricity and heat, lower financing costs, and the opening up of additional sites closer to demand. At the present time however, there are still significant uncertainties relating to the cost, performance and deployment timetables of SMR technologies. This is the background context for the System Requirements for Alternative Nuclear Technologies (ANT) project, commissioned by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI).

The overall purpose of the ANT project was to frame the UK energy system requirements for a small generic nuclear power plant with an output of up to 300MWe. Mott MacDonald was appointed by the ETI to undertake this work, which was carried out in 3 phases between September 2014 and March 2016.

Phases 1 and 2 involved a wide-range of tasks aimed at understanding the role that SMRs could play in the UK’s future energy system and defining the functional and economic parameters for SMRs to fulfil this role.

The objective of Phase 3 was to validate the assumptions and expand the findings of our earlier work by undertaking more detailed engineering analysis. This analysis involved using proprietary industry standard software packages to undertake thermo-dynamic modelling of SMR plant steam cycles and cost modelling of plant equipment. This report represents the culmination of our Phase 3 work. It is concluded that SMR heat supply could be a significant benefit to both plant economics and the decarbonisation of the UK’s energy supply. The cost of designing and building SMR plants ready to supply future DH networks is relatively small, but the benefits are potentially large. This report may have relevance for organisations considering the potential deployment of SMRs into a future UK low carbon energy systems.
Associated Project(s) ETI-ST2033: System Requirements for Alternative Nuclear Technologies
Associated Dataset(s) No associated datasets
Associated Publication(s)

ETI Insights Report - The role for nuclear within a low carbon energy system

Infographic - New Nuclear plants and transition to low carbon

Infographic - Preparing for Deployment of a UK Small Modular Reactor by 2030

List of projects for the ETI Nuclear (NUC) Programme

System Requirements for Alternative Nuclear Technologies - Overview & Key Findings (Presentation)

System Requirements for Alternative Nuclear Technologies - Presentation - Approach and Findings

System Requirements For Alternative Nuclear Technologies - Project Summary Report

System Requirements for Alternative Nuclear Technologies - Request for Proposals

System Requirements for Alternative Nuclear Technologies - Using small modular reactors to supply district heat networks