Feasibility study of a small-sized nuclear heat-only plant dedicated to desalination in the UAE

The development of a small-sized nuclear heat-only plant with maximized safety features dedicated to seawater thermal desalination was proposed to address both a serious water crisis and nuclear safety issues, which continue to be perennial problems. In this study, the feasibility of a dedicated nuclear heat-only desalination system for a target country was evaluated in comparison with a target nuclear thermal desalination system. First, the target country was selected, and its current energy and desalination status was investigated. The suitable nuclear desalination options for the target country were then selected. Finally, using corresponding analysis tools, performance and economic analyses were conducted for a dedicated nuclear heat-only desalination system and the target nuclear thermal desalination system. The results of the analyses indicate that operating the small-sized nuclear heat-only plant at low pressures coupled with a seawater thermal desalination plant will considerably improve both the safety and economy without a significant loss in desalination performance. In conclusion, the proposed dedicated nuclear heat-only desalination system is expected to have high potential for solving both problems.