Aquatic availability needs analysis of nuclear power scenarios for electricity and potable water production
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Use of nuclear power to resolve today's world energy needs offers significant advantages to meet global resource demands while addressing water-energy-food nexus with minimized environmental burden. Considering water desalination for industrial purposes and for human consumption on a global scale, population growth, urbanization, agriculture and climate change will continue to put pressure on drinking water resource availability. The realities of today's world bring the focus on water management technologies. Without water supply sustainability, potable water production and water availability for industrial purposes become economically competitive. In this context, desalination has a fundamental role in combating the limited water supply including both potable and industrial applications. Despite being quite effective and advantageous, the desalination technologies have challenges that must be considered and addressed; as notable examples-energy use, CO2 emissions, water waste, installation and operational costs. The present analysis explores a range of technologically viable nuclear power systems, from conventional LWR-based plants with desalination plants to novel SMRs, focusing on the heat rejection and aquatic needs of these configurations to meet their performance objectives. To produce potable water, one needs a water intake as well as heat rejection options. These aspects of conventional and novel nuclear power systems are analyzed assessing nuclear module capabilities to operate autonomously with limited or no environmental consumption. The analysis is performed comparing nuclear energy systems to conventional power systems and renewable solutions.
