A Forecasted Analysis of the Nuclear Reactor Market to Meet the Global Low-Carbon Industrial Heat Demands

There is a global need to reduce greenhouse gases, and industrial applications are one of the hardest-to-abate sectors. These energy-intensive industries require high-temperature heat which predominantly comes from fossil fuels. The United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory has developed a model to forecast the demand of both electricity and heat up to the year 2050, therefore providing an estimated demand that nuclear energy could help fulfil. This article uses the model to investigate the market potential for light water reactors and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors to determine the applicable heat markets globally. The analysis shows that the demand will be up to 1257 TWh for light water reactors and up to 2123 TWh for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors by 2050.