New research into sustainable energy systems focuses on integrating renewable and nuclear power plants into the electrical grid. The increasing penetration of variable renewable energy technologies in power provision is already raising difficult questions for the overall efficient management of electrical grids. Many of these technologies require flexible power systems that can react quickly to variability in supply and demand. Researchers have developed a new methodology to assess the economics of energy storage plants. They suggest establishing an 'optimum size capacity' of energy storage plants for multiple purposes.
Nuclear power is the only other technology currently available to produce electricity with a negligible amount of carbon dioxide emissions. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are part of a new generation of nuclear power plant designs. It is considered a base load power technology which must produce energy continuously 24/7 to be economical. After testing, researchers conclude that the coupling of SMRs with a desalination plant is a realistic solution to perform efficient load following in nuclear power generation. However, the widespread adoption of this promising technology is unlikely to happen in the short-term.

Tags :   sustainable energy   nuclear power   electrical grid   energy storage