Feasibility study of the operating mode effectiveness of a low-power cogeneration nuclear power unit in the Russian Arctic low-temperature conditions

The authors propose a methodology for the feasibility study of the operating mode effectiveness of a cogeneration nuclear power plant under Arctic low-temperature conditions. They describe the developed optimization mathematical model. The method is based on solving two optimization problems: the problem of minimizing the average cost of electricity generation for the entire service life of the LCOE power unit at a given heat price and discount rate; and the problem of maximizing the useful supply of electric energy from the power unit at the accepted values of the thermal power of the steam generator of the reactor plant and the thermal load of consumers in compliance with all technical limitations of the equipment in operation. The power plant under study includes a RITM-200 reactor plant and a cogeneration steam turbine plant with electric and thermal capacity of up to 55 MW and 30 Gcal/h, respectively. The optimization studies have given preliminary data on the probable cost of the supplied electric energy and its availability for consumers with a need for an electric load of up to 55 MW, a thermal load of 10 Gcal/h, 20 Gcal/h or 30 Gcal/h in a wide range of average outdoor air temperatures during the heating period.