Nuclear cogeneration can be an integral part of future low-carbon energy systems, but governments need to introduce policies that support the industry and discourage fossil fuel use through carbon taxes and other incentives, a Nuclear Energy Agency report concludes.

The report, Beyond Electricity: The Economics of Nuclear Cogeneration, calls for governments to consider developing roadmaps for decarbonising the heat sector, taking into account nuclear energy’s potential to replace fossil fuel used for heating in industrial and commercial sectors.

The potential market for this “cogeneration” is significant with the potential to deploy a high number of new reactors as the world looks for ways to reduce CO2 emissions and air pollution from fossil fuels, the report says.