Nuclear Power, Photovoltaics, and Compressed Air Energy Storage: A Low-Cost, On-Demand Power Hub for Saudi Arabia

Jihad Hassan AlSadah

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_14

Nuclear Power, Photovoltaics, and Compressed Air Energy Storage: A Low-Cost, On-Demand Power Hub for Saudi Arabia

Jihad Hassan AlSadah^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Saudi Arabia’ energy mix is shifting toward low-carbon solar photovoltaics (PV) and nuclear energy. PV intermittency and seasonality must be considered along its low cost which reached globally low value of in SA. Nuclear power plants, NPP, are reliable and cost stable: NPP requires freshwater for evaporative cooling 2.7liter/kWh_e,NPP stressing water resources. NPP is best operated at constant maximum power avoiding xenon poisoning operational complexity and keeping captial intenstive LCOE low. This paper explores alternative roles for NPPs in Saudi Arabia: baseload electricity generation, dedicated desalination, and functioning as energy hub integrating energy storage systems and PV power. Baseload operation is not competitive compared to combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) or future PV/battery systems. NPP can operates thermal and membrane desalination with good economics of 293.7liter/kWh_e and energy cost component of $0.14-0.24/m³. Our study focuses on integrating constant NPPs with intermittent PV systems using compressed air energy storage (CAES). Liquid piston used in CAES enables efficient quasi-isothermal compression/expansion. PV powers charging/compression and NPP heat powers discharging/expansion. The system includes ice thermal storage, 300℃ phase-changing-material hot storage with 200bar high-pressure tanks storing cold air. The system enables power on demand, POD independent from PV and NPP time profiles. PV-NPP-CAES POD costs 42% less than NPP-cost. Electricity generated is 2.5X higher than its NPP contribution. Integrating SA locally advantageous PV to reliable NPPs by utilizing industrially mature CAES and thermal storage, represents a promising energy plan for Saudi Arabia constituting energy hub of low-cost and reliable power on demand.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE
Editors	Afaque Shams, Khaled Al-Athel, Iztok Tiselj, Andreas Pautz, Tomasz Kwiatkowski
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	122-133
Number of pages	12
ISBN (Print)	9783031643613
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_14
State	Published - 2024
Event	Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering, SCOPE 2023 - Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Duration: 13 Nov 2023 → 15 Nov 2023

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering
ISSN (Print)	2195-4356
ISSN (Electronic)	2195-4364

Conference

Conference	Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering, SCOPE 2023
Country/Territory	Saudi Arabia
City	Dhahran
Period	13/11/23 → 15/11/23

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

Keywords

CAES
Desalination
Nuclear Energy
PCM
Photovoltaics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Automotive Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_14

Cite this

AlSadah, J. H. (2024). Nuclear Power, Photovoltaics, and Compressed Air Energy Storage: A Low-Cost, On-Demand Power Hub for Saudi Arabia. In A. Shams, K. Al-Athel, I. Tiselj, A. Pautz, & T. Kwiatkowski (Eds.), Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE (pp. 122-133). (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_14

AlSadah, Jihad Hassan. / Nuclear Power, Photovoltaics, and Compressed Air Energy Storage : A Low-Cost, On-Demand Power Hub for Saudi Arabia. Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE. editor / Afaque Shams ; Khaled Al-Athel ; Iztok Tiselj ; Andreas Pautz ; Tomasz Kwiatkowski. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024. pp. 122-133 (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering).

@inproceedings{ed08f6410123453cabccfb2d80348eb9,

title = "Nuclear Power, Photovoltaics, and Compressed Air Energy Storage: A Low-Cost, On-Demand Power Hub for Saudi Arabia",

abstract = "Saudi Arabia{\textquoteright} energy mix is shifting toward low-carbon solar photovoltaics (PV) and nuclear energy. PV intermittency and seasonality must be considered along its low cost which reached globally low value of in SA. Nuclear power plants, NPP, are reliable and cost stable: NPP requires freshwater for evaporative cooling 2.7liter/kWhe,NPP stressing water resources. NPP is best operated at constant maximum power avoiding xenon poisoning operational complexity and keeping captial intenstive LCOE low. This paper explores alternative roles for NPPs in Saudi Arabia: baseload electricity generation, dedicated desalination, and functioning as energy hub integrating energy storage systems and PV power. Baseload operation is not competitive compared to combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) or future PV/battery systems. NPP can operates thermal and membrane desalination with good economics of 293.7liter/kWhe and energy cost component of \$0.14-0.24/m3. Our study focuses on integrating constant NPPs with intermittent PV systems using compressed air energy storage (CAES). Liquid piston used in CAES enables efficient quasi-isothermal compression/expansion. PV powers charging/compression and NPP heat powers discharging/expansion. The system includes ice thermal storage, 300℃ phase-changing-material hot storage with 200bar high-pressure tanks storing cold air. The system enables power on demand, POD independent from PV and NPP time profiles. PV-NPP-CAES POD costs 42\% less than NPP-cost. Electricity generated is 2.5X higher than its NPP contribution. Integrating SA locally advantageous PV to reliable NPPs by utilizing industrially mature CAES and thermal storage, represents a promising energy plan for Saudi Arabia constituting energy hub of low-cost and reliable power on demand.",

keywords = "CAES, Desalination, Nuclear Energy, PCM, Photovoltaics",

author = "AlSadah, \{Jihad Hassan\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.; Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering, SCOPE 2023 ; Conference date: 13-11-2023 Through 15-11-2023",

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AlSadah, JH 2024, Nuclear Power, Photovoltaics, and Compressed Air Energy Storage: A Low-Cost, On-Demand Power Hub for Saudi Arabia. in A Shams, K Al-Athel, I Tiselj, A Pautz & T Kwiatkowski (eds), Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, pp. 122-133, Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering, SCOPE 2023, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 13/11/23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_14

Nuclear Power, Photovoltaics, and Compressed Air Energy Storage: A Low-Cost, On-Demand Power Hub for Saudi Arabia. / AlSadah, Jihad Hassan.
Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE. ed. / Afaque Shams; Khaled Al-Athel; Iztok Tiselj; Andreas Pautz; Tomasz Kwiatkowski. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024. p. 122-133 (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Nuclear Power, Photovoltaics, and Compressed Air Energy Storage

T2 - Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering, SCOPE 2023

AU - AlSadah, Jihad Hassan

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Saudi Arabia’ energy mix is shifting toward low-carbon solar photovoltaics (PV) and nuclear energy. PV intermittency and seasonality must be considered along its low cost which reached globally low value of in SA. Nuclear power plants, NPP, are reliable and cost stable: NPP requires freshwater for evaporative cooling 2.7liter/kWhe,NPP stressing water resources. NPP is best operated at constant maximum power avoiding xenon poisoning operational complexity and keeping captial intenstive LCOE low. This paper explores alternative roles for NPPs in Saudi Arabia: baseload electricity generation, dedicated desalination, and functioning as energy hub integrating energy storage systems and PV power. Baseload operation is not competitive compared to combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) or future PV/battery systems. NPP can operates thermal and membrane desalination with good economics of 293.7liter/kWhe and energy cost component of $0.14-0.24/m3. Our study focuses on integrating constant NPPs with intermittent PV systems using compressed air energy storage (CAES). Liquid piston used in CAES enables efficient quasi-isothermal compression/expansion. PV powers charging/compression and NPP heat powers discharging/expansion. The system includes ice thermal storage, 300℃ phase-changing-material hot storage with 200bar high-pressure tanks storing cold air. The system enables power on demand, POD independent from PV and NPP time profiles. PV-NPP-CAES POD costs 42% less than NPP-cost. Electricity generated is 2.5X higher than its NPP contribution. Integrating SA locally advantageous PV to reliable NPPs by utilizing industrially mature CAES and thermal storage, represents a promising energy plan for Saudi Arabia constituting energy hub of low-cost and reliable power on demand.

AB - Saudi Arabia’ energy mix is shifting toward low-carbon solar photovoltaics (PV) and nuclear energy. PV intermittency and seasonality must be considered along its low cost which reached globally low value of in SA. Nuclear power plants, NPP, are reliable and cost stable: NPP requires freshwater for evaporative cooling 2.7liter/kWhe,NPP stressing water resources. NPP is best operated at constant maximum power avoiding xenon poisoning operational complexity and keeping captial intenstive LCOE low. This paper explores alternative roles for NPPs in Saudi Arabia: baseload electricity generation, dedicated desalination, and functioning as energy hub integrating energy storage systems and PV power. Baseload operation is not competitive compared to combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) or future PV/battery systems. NPP can operates thermal and membrane desalination with good economics of 293.7liter/kWhe and energy cost component of $0.14-0.24/m3. Our study focuses on integrating constant NPPs with intermittent PV systems using compressed air energy storage (CAES). Liquid piston used in CAES enables efficient quasi-isothermal compression/expansion. PV powers charging/compression and NPP heat powers discharging/expansion. The system includes ice thermal storage, 300℃ phase-changing-material hot storage with 200bar high-pressure tanks storing cold air. The system enables power on demand, POD independent from PV and NPP time profiles. PV-NPP-CAES POD costs 42% less than NPP-cost. Electricity generated is 2.5X higher than its NPP contribution. Integrating SA locally advantageous PV to reliable NPPs by utilizing industrially mature CAES and thermal storage, represents a promising energy plan for Saudi Arabia constituting energy hub of low-cost and reliable power on demand.

KW - CAES

KW - Desalination

KW - Nuclear Energy

KW - PCM

KW - Photovoltaics

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DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_14

M3 - Conference contribution

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SN - 9783031643613

T3 - Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering

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BT - Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE

A2 - Shams, Afaque

A2 - Al-Athel, Khaled

A2 - Tiselj, Iztok

A2 - Pautz, Andreas

A2 - Kwiatkowski, Tomasz

PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

Y2 - 13 November 2023 through 15 November 2023

ER -

AlSadah JH. Nuclear Power, Photovoltaics, and Compressed Air Energy Storage: A Low-Cost, On-Demand Power Hub for Saudi Arabia. In Shams A, Al-Athel K, Tiselj I, Pautz A, Kwiatkowski T, editors, Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2024. p. 122-133. (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_14

Nuclear Power, Photovoltaics, and Compressed Air Energy Storage: A Low-Cost, On-Demand Power Hub for Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this