A contribution to evaluation of nuclear power plants competitiveness using 3E indicator: One possible approach

Abstract

The strong restrictions of greenhouse gasses emissions and the high penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources are the frame for researching more closely the contribution of nuclear power plants to competitiveness of corresponding technology portfolio for electricity generation. For the competitiveness indication 3E indicator is applied. The 3E indicator is expressed as the function of two variables that indicate the configuration of the technology portfolio i. e. participation of intermittent renewables in covering overall electricity load and participation of nuclear power plants in covering the residual electricity load. Obtained results point out that an increase of nuclear power plants participation in residual load contributes to the increase of the technology portfolio?s competitiveness, i. e. to the reduction of the 3E indicator?s numerical value. On the other hand, an increase of intermittent renewables participation in overall load in principle contributes to the decrease of the technology portfolio?s competitiveness, i. e. to the increase of the 3E indicator?s numerical value with the maximal value at the certain participation rate. The competitiveness of the technology portfolios for electricity generation in eleven European countries is also examined. The results point out that the country with highest participation of intermittent renewables in overall load domain has the less favorable competitiveness, and the lowest annual equivalent operation time of the technology portfolio. On the other hand, the country with highest participation of nuclear power plants in residual load domain has the most favorable value of 3E indicator and the highest annual equivalent operation time of its technology portfolio.