Education and Training Series #45: Maximizing Clean Energy Integration: The Role of Nuclear and Renewable Technologies in Integrated Energy Systems

These webinars, organised by the GIF Education and Training Working Group are streamed live monthly. The recordings and slide decks are accessible after the webinar on this website. These webinars cover a very broad range of technical and policy related topics. At the end of 2023 they have been viewed by more than 15000 people (approximately half of the views during the live streams and the other half views being of the archives on the public GIF website). In total, the GIF webinars have reached Generation IV enthusiasts, scientists, and engineers in more than 80 countries.

These webinars are organised and hosted by the GIF Education and Training Working Group (ETWG). 

Many cities, states, utilities, and public commissions are setting energy standards that aim to reduce carbon emissions. In order to realize a clean and resilient energy future, new methods of energy production, distribution, and use will be required. The primary focus of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Program on Integrated Energy Systems, led by researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), has been to assess the potential of integrated energy systems to enhance the flexibility and utilization of nuclear reactors alongside renewable generators and, thereby, to maximize the use of the clean energy provided by these systems. This work begins with the question: “What goals are we trying to achieve, and how will the produced energy be used?” These questions must be addressed within the context of a specific deployment location, which has implications relative to the electricity market structure, supply, and demand; available feedstock for industrial processes; and available product markets. Product streams, ranging from potable water to hydrogen, fertilizer, synthetic fuels, and various chemicals, have been considered. Each product stream has its own market and market drivers and its own geographic location that would maximize profitability. Some of these products would only require electricity to support production, while others require both thermal and electrical energy. This webinar highlights work led by INL, in collaboration with other national laboratories and industry partners, to evaluate integrated energy system options that utilize nuclear energy in new ways. By working with key collaborators in the nuclear industry, these analytical studies are now becoming a reality in demonstration projects.