Flexible nuclear district heating with the Teplator concept: ORC cogeneration, load shifting, and data center integration

Decarbonizing the heat sector represents a major challenge of the energy transition, as European district heating networks remain largely dependent on fossil fuels. Nuclear energy, traditionally used for electricity generation, offers a scalable and emission-free alternative for urban heat supply. Recent developments have introduced small modular reactor (SMR) concepts tailored for district heating; however, their operational flexibility and economic performance under market-oriented operation remain insufficiently explored. This study presents the Czech SMR-based Teplator concept and evaluates two application scenarios using real operational data from the Pilsen district heating network. The first scenario combines nuclear heat supply with Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) cogeneration and short-term thermal load shifting, utilizing the inherent thermal capacity of the district heating network as short-term storage. The second scenario investigates data center integration, where waste heat recovery supports heat supply while flexible operation enhances electricity generation. The results show that thermal load shifting increases system revenues by up to 10.5 % in the Teplator–ORC configuration, while data center integration enhances electricity output by up to 11.7 % and improves overall system utilization and operational resilience. These findings demonstrate that nuclear district heating systems can operate beyond rigid baseload regimes and act as flexible components of integrated energy systems. • Thermal load shifting increases revenues by up to 10.5%. • Data center waste heat increases power output by 11.7%. • District heating network acts as short-term thermal storage. • Flexible modes enable market-oriented Teplator operation. • Pilsen data confirm feasibility of emission-free nuclear heat.