Nuclear power is a controllable source of electricity

  • The technology of the small nuclear power plant planned for Estonia is manageable.
  • Managed generation capacity within Estonia will ensure security of supply and maintain grid frequency.
  • Estonia needs at least 1,000 MW of managed electricity generation capacity.

The capacity of a small reactor planned for Estonia can be controlled

BWRX-300 väikereaktoriga tuumajaam

BWRX-300 small reactor nuclear power plant.

A balance between generation and absorption must be ensured in the electricity network to maintain the network frequency. Although nuclear plants are not the fastest to regulate generation, they are usually the leading generation and ensure network stability even in the face of fluctuating consumption. The BWRX-300 small reactor planned for Estonia will be able to regulate its capacity according to intraday consumption if there is a reason to do so.

50-100% on a daily basis
0,5% per minute

Source: aris.iaea.org

For more information on the BWRX-300 reactor, please see. from here and EA description of the process of building the Estonian nuclear power plant can be found in. from here.

Did you know that...

In the energy sector, generation sources are broadly divided into two categories:

  1. Energy sources that depend on the weather and are not under control, and need to be complemented with controlled production and storage capacity. For example, the sun and the wind, one of which does not shine and the other does not blow in line with the consumption patterns of the Estonian people.
  2. Energy sources that are controllable and meet our needs during dark and windy periods and keep electricity online. For example, fossil fuels, biomass combustion and the nuclear energy. Estonia's electricity supply regulation policy sets the country's required controllable electricity capacity at 1000 MW.

France even manages the output of its large nuclear power plants on a daily basis according to consumption.

The French control the power output of their nuclear plants according to their consumption.

EDF, the French energy company, is responsible for all the nuclear power plants in France, and has been making its reactors more flexible over the past 30 years, with the aim of making them better able to adapt to load fluctuations and to work with renewables.

French nuclear power plants need to be resilient as they provide a large part (75%) of the electricity produced in France.

EDF's experience shows that, apart from some minor impacts on the secondary system (water and steam cycle), flexibility does not have a major impact on operation and nuclear safety.

Source: edf.hal.science

Experts say:

It is important to remember that we cannot increase the generation of unregulated energy sources until we have sufficient offsetting managed generation and storage.
Arvi Hamburg
Arvi HamburgChairman of the Energy Council of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
There will be sufficient electricity generation capacity until the end of 2026, but then the directive given to AS Eesti Energia by the state as the owner to ensure at least 1000 MW of managed electricity generation capacity within Estonia will expire. In 2027, according to the security of supply analysis, there may not be sufficient capacity on a market basis to cover consumption at the foreseen level.
Janar Holm
Janar HolmAuditor General

Find out more about these topics:

Nuclear safety
Waste management
The process of building a nuclear power plant
Possible location
Nuclear power plant water use
Supporters of nuclear energy

If you would like to ask further questions on this or any other topic, you can do so here.

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