Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GEMINI 4.0 (GEMINI For Zero Emission)
Période du rapport: 2022-06-01 au 2023-11-30
The EU aims to be climate-neutral i.e. to have an economy with net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. The consequential task to curb the emissions of CO2 and other GHG so drastically shows that it will be very far from sufficient to consider electricity generation alone. Presently in EU, electricity generation is decarbonised approximately by 2/3, but electricity is making up for only about 1/4 of the total end use energy consumption. The other 3/4, which are consumed largely in the three sectors of transportation, industrial process heat and residential heating, are relying by almost 80% on burning of fossil fuels. This represents an extreme challenge for the EU counterstrategy against global warming and climate change.
This is where Nuclear Cogeneration of electricity, process heat and production of low-carbon energy carriers can and must jump in. And this is the way how we can avoid the detour of electrifying the non-electric sectors which would require increasing by more than a factor 4 today’s electricity (and in parallel, to completely decarbonise the electricity sector).
In this context, the Nuclear Cogeneration Industrial Initiative of SNETP, through the GEMINI+ program, has already highlighted the benefit of the HTGR for an efficient cogeneration of decarbonised electricity and steam supply, based on a generic design. Reachable advances in safety and economy have been underlined.
HTGRs have been operating successfully already for decades, nuclear grade heat exchangers and high temperature materials are standard technology. In addition, the HTGR technology is well positioned in the various roadmaps, focused on future nuclear fission energy systems, as implemented in several countries. HTGR offers a quite unique wide range of usages due to the high temperature level of its process, among the nuclear fission systems.
Considering HTGR technology development it is relevant to comply with the objectives and timeline of the EU Green Deal policy at large, because the realisation of nuclear cogeneration in industry can effectively cut GHG emission, pollution and resource consumption (fossil fuels, metals, rare earths…).
GEMINI 4.0 has the overarching objective to build a bridge for the first two of said three sectors in this context over which a practicable and comparatively short way leads into a low-carbon future. Based on the feedback experience gained through the operating of HTGR with the comprehensive knowledge of hydrogen production processes which completely avoid the by-product of CO2, the missing gaps do not need extremely large steps.
The GEMINI 4.0 objective is to clear the way towards safety demonstration and subsequent deployment of high temperature industrial nuclear cogeneration with the system developed in GEMINI+, by:
• Consolidate the GEMINI+ system safety demonstration and have its licensing readiness assessed by regulators and TSOs including when used in poly-generation mode,
• Develop the capability of the GEMINI+ system to operate in a cost-effective way in poly-generation mode,
• Plan for the development of a EU consistent fuel cycle for this type of reactor with respect to fissile resources and to a safe and acceptable back end,
• Launch an ambitious communication plan towards political and industry stakeholders, as well as towards the public, aimed at removing obstacles to nuclear solutions for decarbonization of industry.
This is where Nuclear Cogeneration of electricity, process heat and production of low-carbon energy carriers can and must jump in. And this is the way how we can avoid the detour of electrifying the non-electric sectors which would require increasing by more than a factor 4 today’s electricity (and in parallel, to completely decarbonise the electricity sector).
In this context, the Nuclear Cogeneration Industrial Initiative of SNETP, through the GEMINI+ program, has already highlighted the benefit of the HTGR for an efficient cogeneration of decarbonised electricity and steam supply, based on a generic design. Reachable advances in safety and economy have been underlined.
HTGRs have been operating successfully already for decades, nuclear grade heat exchangers and high temperature materials are standard technology. In addition, the HTGR technology is well positioned in the various roadmaps, focused on future nuclear fission energy systems, as implemented in several countries. HTGR offers a quite unique wide range of usages due to the high temperature level of its process, among the nuclear fission systems.
Considering HTGR technology development it is relevant to comply with the objectives and timeline of the EU Green Deal policy at large, because the realisation of nuclear cogeneration in industry can effectively cut GHG emission, pollution and resource consumption (fossil fuels, metals, rare earths…).
GEMINI 4.0 has the overarching objective to build a bridge for the first two of said three sectors in this context over which a practicable and comparatively short way leads into a low-carbon future. Based on the feedback experience gained through the operating of HTGR with the comprehensive knowledge of hydrogen production processes which completely avoid the by-product of CO2, the missing gaps do not need extremely large steps.
The GEMINI 4.0 objective is to clear the way towards safety demonstration and subsequent deployment of high temperature industrial nuclear cogeneration with the system developed in GEMINI+, by:
• Consolidate the GEMINI+ system safety demonstration and have its licensing readiness assessed by regulators and TSOs including when used in poly-generation mode,
• Develop the capability of the GEMINI+ system to operate in a cost-effective way in poly-generation mode,
• Plan for the development of a EU consistent fuel cycle for this type of reactor with respect to fissile resources and to a safe and acceptable back end,
• Launch an ambitious communication plan towards political and industry stakeholders, as well as towards the public, aimed at removing obstacles to nuclear solutions for decarbonization of industry.
WP1 consists of various tasks related to the safety of the designed GEMINI+ reactor. The following main results were achieved: requirements on the instrumentation as part of the SOR, options for improved design of the core were proposed, experiments with B4C oxidation were executed, the assessment of codes related to graphite, metallic and ceramic components is prepared.
WP2: The following main achievements were made: The flowsheet requirements were agreed upon, A hydrogen market study was issued and a risk analysis of flammable release in the nuclear plant vicinity using CFD codes and safety options for a combined nuclear/conventional plants were started.
This WP has seen a relatively strong fluctuation of partner collaborators, requiring in particular a new Task Leader for T2.3.
WP3: The following main achievements were made: Quality control methods for graphite and compacts have been issued. The compact separation technology has been decided.
Remark: a new WP leader has been appointed within Framatome SAS, without change in the WP organization.
WP4: The following main achievements were made: review of the safety options of the GEMINI+ core design, proposal for the core instrumentation.
WP2: The following main achievements were made: The flowsheet requirements were agreed upon, A hydrogen market study was issued and a risk analysis of flammable release in the nuclear plant vicinity using CFD codes and safety options for a combined nuclear/conventional plants were started.
This WP has seen a relatively strong fluctuation of partner collaborators, requiring in particular a new Task Leader for T2.3.
WP3: The following main achievements were made: Quality control methods for graphite and compacts have been issued. The compact separation technology has been decided.
Remark: a new WP leader has been appointed within Framatome SAS, without change in the WP organization.
WP4: The following main achievements were made: review of the safety options of the GEMINI+ core design, proposal for the core instrumentation.
Improvement in the confidence in safety of nuclear HTR and processes can be achieved by a progress analysis of the safety report and a proposal of a licensing path reviewed positively by the safety authorities. This includes the reduction of the number of open points between start and end of the project leading to the existence of a feasible, viable and detailed core design. Core design and licensing path will increase maturity of a preliminary safety analysis to support potential candidate countries in the licensing of the HTGR system.
Pertinent and cost-effective architecture and existence of a plan for HTGR fuel supply in Europe for a first HTGR, then for a fleet will support the competitive decarbonization of the EU industry with nuclear high temperature heat solutions supporting the Green Deal agenda.
Pertinent and cost-effective architecture and existence of a plan for HTGR fuel supply in Europe for a first HTGR, then for a fleet will support the competitive decarbonization of the EU industry with nuclear high temperature heat solutions supporting the Green Deal agenda.