Non-Electric and Cogeneration Applications of Nuclear Energy Working Group

The “Non-Electric and Cogeneration Applications of Nuclear Energy” Working Group (NECA WG) was formed in 2024 to advance knowledge and access to energy system design, analysis, and optimisation tools that may allow decision makers to find optimal energy system solutions for different socio-economic and geographical contexts. This working group builds upon the work carried by the concluded GIF Non-Electric Applications of Nuclear Heat (NEANH TF, 2021-2024).

In particular, members of the NECA WG are working collaboratively to conduct analysis on non-electric or cogeneration systems using nuclear energy, engage energy end users exploring nuclear energy as a solution for industrial decarbonisation, support regulatory readiness for non-electric or cogeneration systems using nuclear energy, and consolidate knowledge or resources in this area. 

Topics Covered by the GIF NECA WG

Non-electric applications of nuclear heat include the ensemble of solutions and processes that make optimal use of the energy produced by a nuclear fission reactor – all or part of the heat it produces over the extent of operational temperature and power levels – to provide alternatives to the use of fossil fuels as a source of thermal energy, and energy services that are complementary to the electric grid. This approach is designed to optimise energy utilization efficiency, system economics, and decarbonisation.

There is historic precedent for the use of nuclear technologies for non-electric applications, including 43 reactors that have been used for district heating totalling approximately 500 reactor years of experience, 17 reactors that have been used for desalination totalling approximately 250 reactor years of experience, and 7 reactors that have been used for industrial process heat. 

While past experience using nuclear energy for non-electric applications mostly utilised water-cooled reactors, there is an opportunity to expand the role of nuclear energy in supporting non-grid applications with the emerging development of Generation IV reactor technologies, including for chemicals production, mining applications, reducing emissions in the oil and gas sector, and for the production of low carbon intensity hydrogen for a range of applications. 

History and membership of the NECA WG

History of the NECA WG

The direct use of nuclear-generated heat or process intermediates that may be produced using nuclear heat and electricity to support energy demands in the industrial sectors offer significant potential for emission reductions.

To evaluate the suitability of nuclear energy systems for these new pathways, in May 2021, the GIF Policy Group established a new interim Task Force on Non-Electric applications of Nuclear Heat (NEaNH TF). The NEaNH TF began its work October 2021 and concluded its term in October 2024. In October 2024, the conversion of the NEaNH TF into a working group as a permanent entity in GIF was approved during the 58th GIF Policy Group meeting on 17 October 2024.

This Non-Electric and Cogeneration Applications of Nuclear Energy (NECA) Working Group will build on the success of the NEaNH TF which established a baseline knowledge of energy system design, analysis, and tools, and also established a need among GIF member countries to stay engaged in analysing these systems. 

Leadership and Membership

The current chair of the NECA WG is Dr. Shannon Bragg-Sitton of Idaho National Laboratory in the United States. Technical Secretary services are provided by Mr. Brent Wilhelm of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. 

The members of the NECA WG include all active members of the GIF, with active engagement from Canada, China, Euratom, France, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom, and the USA. 

The NECA WG also includes Observers from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and from South Africa. 

Partners and related initiatives

The NECA WG builds on partnerships both within the GIF community and with external organizations to support its objectives related to non-electric applications of nuclear energy.

The NECA Working Group collaborates closely with other GIF groups, including system-specific groups such as the VHTR Hydrogen Production Project Management Board, as well as cross-cutting working groups like the Economic Modelling Working Group. NECA has also supported the GIF Senior Industry Advisory Panel through an in-person special session on non-electric applications in Ottawa, Canada, in February 2024 to help enhance GIF’s relevance to industry

Beyond the GIF community, the working group also engages with international organizations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), and the International Energy Agency through the IEA Hydrogen from Nuclear Energy Task 44. Specific collaborations include:

Finally, NECA WG members engage directly with industrial stakeholders which allows for practical feedback on system readiness and highlight opportunities for demonstration projects to address specific energy needs. These external collaborations help bridge the gap between technical research and real-world application, ensuring that the group’s work remains relevant and actionable. Notable engagement activities include:

Key NECA WG Results and Deliverables

NEANH TF Position Paper

The Position Paper on Non-Electric Applications of Nuclear-Heat: A Generation IV International Forum Priority was completed in November 2022 by GIF NEANH Task Force members and published to the GIF website here

Workshop Summaries

  • In July 2022, a virtual workshop was held to exchange knowledge and align GIF members in advance of engaging the end-use community. The meeting summary is available here.
  • In October 2022, a full-day in-person workshop was held in Toronto, Canada, on 3 October 2022, in conjunction with the GIF Industry Forum. This event was used to connect GIF to the high temperature community outside the nuclear field. The event was well-attended with more than 150 participants including Gen IV reactor developers, energy system modellers, industrial energy users, researchers, and other stakeholders. The meeting summary is available here.
  • In April 2024 the NEANH task force organised a Non-Electric and Hybrid Energy Applications Workshop at the margins of the the 39th Korea Atomic Power (KAP) Annual Conference from April 22-24, 2024, in Busan, Korea. Full information about this event is available here.

NEANHTF Database

The NECA WG has completed v1.0 of a NEANH database to act as a common repository of relevant studies, experiments, demonstrations, past commercial systems, or assessments of recent and ongoing activities on NEANH coupled with nuclear energy systems. 

Version 1.0 of the NEANH Database comprises an initial inventory of relevant activities populated by NECA  members. The NEANH Database is an evolving document that will be maintained at a regular cadence. New versions will be released periodically, which may differ in format, content, and style. Please check the NECA website for the latest version. In the future, functionality will be added within the website to allow both GIF and non-GIF members to submit additional studies, demonstrations, and deployment cases of non-electric applications of nuclear energy for TF review prior to inclusion within the public database.

The NEANH database includes reference information in the following categories:

  1. Studies: Research studies related to non-electric applications of nuclear heat.
  2. Collaborative Initiatives: Collaborative projects and initiatives in the domain.
  3. Past or Existing Systems: Information on systems that have operated or are currently operating.
  4. Planned Systems: Systems that are in planning or under construction.
  5. Modelling Tools: Tools available for modelling these applications.

 

 

Key WG Events

Upcoming Events:

  • January 21-23, 2025 in Paris, France: 2nd “Hydrogen production from Nuclear Energy and its value chain” working session. A Joint IEA - HYNE TASK44, GIF, and NEA initiative
     

Past Events:

  • Joint GIF-IEA meeting in Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA, from January 22 to 25, 2024, along with members of the IEA Hydrogen from Nuclear Energy (Task 44) and GIF VHTR Hydrogen Production PMB groups. 
  • SIAP Special Session on Non-Electric and Hybrid Energy Applications, which was held at the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) conference from February 28 – March 1, 2024 in Ottawa, Canada.
  • Non-Electric and Hybrid Energy Applications Workshop at the 39th Korea Atomic Power (KAP) Annual Conference from April 22-24, 2024, in Busan, Korea.
  • NEANH Workshop at the GIF Industry Forum: The primary objective of this full-day workshop on NEANH was to connect GIF to the high temperature community outside the nuclear field, but also to bring together stakeholders to establish connections between the research community and industry, engaging both nuclear technology developers and energy end users. The event was well-attended with more than 150 participants including Gen IV reactor developers, energy system modellers, industrial energy users, researchers, and other stakeholders.

Previous Initiatives looking into non-electric and cogeneration applications of nuclear energy

NGNP Industrial Alliance (2010) – Formed to develop high-temperature gas reactors (HTGR) and expand its industrial applications. Membership included end-users. 

EUROPAIRS (2009) – Evaluated coupling of HTGRs with industrial processes. This group concluded that 50% of industrial heat demand is below 550⁰C and recommended strong partnerships with nuclear technology developers and end-users. 

ARCHER (2016) – The Advanced high-temperature reactors for cogeneration of heat and electricity R&D project extended European HTR and Very-HTR technologies by incorporating recent advancements. This initiative involved collaboration between European and international partners from Asia, the United States and South Africa.

 

NEANH TF Leadership and Technical Secretariat

Portrait of Dr Bragg-Sitton NEANHTF Chair

Dr
Shannon BRAGG-SITTON

NEANHTF
NEANHTF Chair

Dr. Shannon Bragg-Sitton is the Associate Laboratory Director for the Energy and Environment Science and Technology directorate at Idaho National Laboratory. She has been in this role since 2024 after serving as director of the Integrated Energy and Storage Systems Division for the directorate.  
Shannon served from 2014-2023 as the National Technical Director for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Integrated Energy Systems program and she currently chairs the Generation IV International Forum Task Force on Non-electric Applications of Nuclear Heat. Shannon has previously served in DOE program leadership for space nuclear power and propulsion systems, advanced nuclear fuels, used fuel disposition, and microreactor development.

Dr. Bragg-Sitton holds an MS and PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan, an MS in Medical Physics from the University of Texas at Houston, and a BS in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University. She is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society and a Founding Member of both the International Youth Nuclear Congress and the North American Young Generation in Nuclear.

Brent WILHELM

Mr
Brent WILHELM

GIF TS
NEANHTF
GFR SSC
GIF Technical Secretary

Brent Wilhelm is a Nuclear Energy Analyst in the Division of Nuclear Technology and Economics within the Nuclear Energy Agency. Brent also serves the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) as Technical Secretary to support international R&D efforts on advanced gas-cooled reactor technologies, and the use of nuclear energy for non-electric applications. 
Prior to this role, Brent worked for the Government of Canada as a Nuclear Science and Technology Advisor with Natural Resources Canada, where he informed analysis on nuclear energy technologies in support of Canada’s strategic policies. He has also worked at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Bell Canada, and GreenBug Energy, where he gained practical experience in clean energy technology development and the management of infrastructure implementation projects. 
Brent received both a MSc and BSc in Physics from the University of Guelph where he specialized in nuclear energy and planetary bulk geochemistry. 

Active contributors

  • The current chair of the NECA WG is Dr. Shannon Bragg-Sitton of Idaho National Laboratory, USA.
    • Inaugural chair of the WG and connects engagement with the U.S. DOE Integrated Energy Systems program
  • Ramesh SADHANKAR of Natural Resources Canada / Canada
    • Significant contributions to organizing the first in-person NEANH workshop in Canada
    • Contributing analysis on commercial readiness of H2 from low temperature electrolysis (LTE) systems 
  • Michael FUETTERER of EURATOM
    • Vice Chair of the NECA WG 
    • SNETP engagement 
  • Chan Soo KIM of KAERI/Korea 
    • Primary host for the 2nd NEANH workshop 
  • Aiden PEAKMAN of UK NNL / United Kingdom
    • Initiating discussions with regulators on the topic of non-electric and cogeneration applications 

NEANH TF Database map of NEANH Projects

Interactive map of historic NEANH examples.

You can learn more about the NEANH Database here.

This map is generated using Google maps "My maps" service.