Abdulaziz Almathami
Assistant Research Professor
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology
Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Mathami is a researcher at the Nuclear Technology Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. He holds an MS in Nuclear Engineering and Project Management (Tsinghua) and a PhD in Nuclear Engineering (Texas A&M). His career spans reactor construction, regulatory compliance, and integrating nuclear into national energy strategies. A member of the Saudi Association for Energy Economics and the Arab Energy Club, he has published on nuclear economics, hydrogen, and energy policy, and presented at multiple nuclear ene
Participates in
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Technologies
Solar, Wind and Nuclear Integration
Forum 21 | Digital Poster Plaza 4
29
April
11:30
13:30
UTC+3
Flexible operation of nuclear power plants provides a crucial opportunity to ensure the reliability of the intermittent renewable energy such as solar and wind energies in the electrical grid. Historically, nuclear reactors are well known for their primarily operation in the baseload generation due to their reliable and predictable energy outputs. However, advancement in nuclear reactors designs and control technologies enabled modern nuclear reactors to play the role of performing load following operation, where adjusting the energy outputs regarding the fluctuation in the renewable energy production and the electricity demand. In this role, nuclear plants provide residual-load following that complements the diurnal and seasonal profiles of solar and wind, reducing curtailment and maintaining system reliability.
This paper discovers the operational and technical feasibility of flexible nuclear reactor operations, emphasizing their capacity to critical grid services containing voltage stability, reactive power support, and frequency regulation. The new technologies and designs, notably Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and advanced generation III+ reactors, show how nuclear power plant can effectively integrated to the electricity grid in order to enhance the performance of renewables.
Additionally, this paper illustrate the economic analysis comparing fixable nuclear operation against alternative grid stabilization method highlight the potential cost-benefit advantages, underscoring economic competitiveness and regulatory considerations critical for wider industry adoption.
Moreover, this paper discuss real world case study from countries actively performing nuclear flexibility such as France and Germany, which include evidence of practical outcomes, challenges, and solution advancement.
Conclusively, this paper demonstrate the strategic value and technical feasibility of flexible nuclear operation, presenting a solid, economically attractive pathway toward stable, sustainable and reliable energy system in the manner of rising renewable demand.
This paper discovers the operational and technical feasibility of flexible nuclear reactor operations, emphasizing their capacity to critical grid services containing voltage stability, reactive power support, and frequency regulation. The new technologies and designs, notably Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and advanced generation III+ reactors, show how nuclear power plant can effectively integrated to the electricity grid in order to enhance the performance of renewables.
Additionally, this paper illustrate the economic analysis comparing fixable nuclear operation against alternative grid stabilization method highlight the potential cost-benefit advantages, underscoring economic competitiveness and regulatory considerations critical for wider industry adoption.
Moreover, this paper discuss real world case study from countries actively performing nuclear flexibility such as France and Germany, which include evidence of practical outcomes, challenges, and solution advancement.
Conclusively, this paper demonstrate the strategic value and technical feasibility of flexible nuclear operation, presenting a solid, economically attractive pathway toward stable, sustainable and reliable energy system in the manner of rising renewable demand.
