Nuclear power for the industry

Date of publication: 10.10.2013

It’s been a year of work of the consortium HTRPL under a research task “Development of high-temperature reactors for industrial applications.”¹ funded by the National Research and Development Centre, Meanwhile, on October 1, 2013, work began on a European project with the acronym NC2I-R² (Nuclear Cogeneration Industrial Initiative – Research). Both projects concern the use of nuclear co-generation based on technology of high temperature reactors (HTR – High Temperature Reactor), to generate electricity and heat energy with high potential of temperature for the industry.

Among Polish partners in both projects participate University of Mining and Metallurgy of the name of Stanisław Staszic in Krakow (AGH), Stanisław Staszic in Krakow (AGH), the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) and PROCHEM SA (PROCHEM).

AGH is a project leader for HTRPL, NCBJ for NC2I-R and PROCHEM led a taskforce for NC2I (Nuclear Cogeneration Industrial Initiative) which was created under the SNETP (Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform) which is European Platform. AGH and NCBJ are participating in the work of this team.

PROCHEM tasks within the project HTRPL is a preliminary analysis of the use of cogeneration systems in Poland in the industry, taking into account the perspectives of using heat from HTR reactors and the presentation of elements of the strategy of implementation of the HTR reactors in cogeneration during the next several years in Poland.

The first project was completed according to schedule and PROCHEM had transmitted to the consortium partners his report on the selection of potential industrial users of heat from the HTR reactor and conditions of the location of the reactor and transfer of heat to the users.

PROCHEM tasks within the project NC2I-R is a mapping and analysis of the European industrial plants in terms of possible location of the demonstration of HTR reactor in cogeneration (Mapping and analysis of European sites), and cooperation with the so-called a group of end-users (End-User Group management) of this technology.

Both of these tasks will be carried out on the basis of the results of the project completed in 2011, with the acronym EUROPAIRS² attended by both AGH and PROCHEM. This project examines the possibility of using of cogeneration systems for industrial purpose, how could be in another way – in the twenty-first century, through the use of nuclear energy, in the form of high-temperature HTR reactor.

Text: Marek Tarka

¹ This task is number one of the ten strategic tasks of the research project under the name of “Supplementary Technologies for the development of safe nuclear energy.” All tasks are listed on the website of NCBR http://www.ncbir.pl/programy-strategiczne/technologie-wspomagajace-rozwoj-bezpiecznej-energetyki-jadrowej/
² Project co-financed by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Program