Techno-economic analysis of synthetic fuel production from existing nuclear power plants across the United States
Low carbon synfuel can reduce dependence on fossil fuels like diesel and jet fuel, and, with large-scale cost-effective production, contribute to global transportation sector decarbonization, Simultaneously, nuclear power plants are struggling economically due to falling wholesale electricity prices...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research: Energy |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2753-3751/adbf23 |
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| author | Marisol Garrouste Michael T Craig Daniel Wendt Maria Herrera Diaz William Jenson Qian Zhang Brendan Kochunas |
| author_facet | Marisol Garrouste Michael T Craig Daniel Wendt Maria Herrera Diaz William Jenson Qian Zhang Brendan Kochunas |
| author_sort | Marisol Garrouste |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Low carbon synfuel can reduce dependence on fossil fuels like diesel and jet fuel, and, with large-scale cost-effective production, contribute to global transportation sector decarbonization, Simultaneously, nuclear power plants are struggling economically due to falling wholesale electricity prices. Converting existing nuclear plants for synfuel production could preserve these low-carbon assets and enable large-scale synfuel production, yet no comprehensive technoeconomic analysis exists. This study evaluates the potential of integrating synthetic fuel production with five US nuclear plants, considering electricity and fuel markets and carbon dioxide source access. Such integration could enhance nuclear plant profitability by up to $792 million and offer a 10% return on investment over 20 years. The hydrogen production tax credit from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act is crucial, comprising 75% of revenues on average. Carbon feedstock transportation has the highest cost at 35%, followed closely by synfuel production capital costs. Incentive policies are thus key for the decarbonization of the transportation sector and the economic importance of the geographic location of Integrated Energy Systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-84c800488f884f37befd50f65dac11a1 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2753-3751 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research: Energy |
| spelling | doaj-art-84c800488f884f37befd50f65dac11a12025-08-20T02:10:54ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research: Energy2753-37512025-01-012101501810.1088/2753-3751/adbf23Techno-economic analysis of synthetic fuel production from existing nuclear power plants across the United StatesMarisol Garrouste0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6838-8644Michael T Craig1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3031-5041Daniel Wendt2Maria Herrera Diaz3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9608-5664William Jenson4Qian Zhang5Brendan Kochunas6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7109-9368Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI, United States of AmericaSchool for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America; Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI, United States of AmericaIdaho National Laboratory , Idaho Falls, ID, United States of AmericaIdaho National Laboratory , Idaho Falls, ID, United States of AmericaIdaho National Laboratory , Idaho Falls, ID, United States of AmericaIdaho National Laboratory , Idaho Falls, ID, United States of AmericaNuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI, United States of AmericaLow carbon synfuel can reduce dependence on fossil fuels like diesel and jet fuel, and, with large-scale cost-effective production, contribute to global transportation sector decarbonization, Simultaneously, nuclear power plants are struggling economically due to falling wholesale electricity prices. Converting existing nuclear plants for synfuel production could preserve these low-carbon assets and enable large-scale synfuel production, yet no comprehensive technoeconomic analysis exists. This study evaluates the potential of integrating synthetic fuel production with five US nuclear plants, considering electricity and fuel markets and carbon dioxide source access. Such integration could enhance nuclear plant profitability by up to $792 million and offer a 10% return on investment over 20 years. The hydrogen production tax credit from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act is crucial, comprising 75% of revenues on average. Carbon feedstock transportation has the highest cost at 35%, followed closely by synfuel production capital costs. Incentive policies are thus key for the decarbonization of the transportation sector and the economic importance of the geographic location of Integrated Energy Systems.https://doi.org/10.1088/2753-3751/adbf23integrated energy systemsnuclear energysynfuelhydrogen PTCdecarbonizationtransportation sector |
| spellingShingle | Marisol Garrouste Michael T Craig Daniel Wendt Maria Herrera Diaz William Jenson Qian Zhang Brendan Kochunas Techno-economic analysis of synthetic fuel production from existing nuclear power plants across the United States Environmental Research: Energy integrated energy systems nuclear energy synfuel hydrogen PTC decarbonization transportation sector |
| title | Techno-economic analysis of synthetic fuel production from existing nuclear power plants across the United States |
| title_full | Techno-economic analysis of synthetic fuel production from existing nuclear power plants across the United States |
| title_fullStr | Techno-economic analysis of synthetic fuel production from existing nuclear power plants across the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Techno-economic analysis of synthetic fuel production from existing nuclear power plants across the United States |
| title_short | Techno-economic analysis of synthetic fuel production from existing nuclear power plants across the United States |
| title_sort | techno economic analysis of synthetic fuel production from existing nuclear power plants across the united states |
| topic | integrated energy systems nuclear energy synfuel hydrogen PTC decarbonization transportation sector |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/2753-3751/adbf23 |
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