Techno-economic assessment of a nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system for a seaport-centric region

Seaports require a large amount of energy for their daily operations. Nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems (Nu-R HES) offer a promising solution to address the energy needs of seaports and facilitate their transition away from fossil fuels. This paper evaluates the feasibility of implementing a Nu-R HES consisting of a small modular reactor (SMR), a solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant, and a hydroelectric power plant (HPP), for the seaport region of Durrës, Albania. The study evaluates technological performance, estimating energy consumption, Nu-R HES, Solar PV, and HPP output. Moreover, the research provides insight into potential costs and estimates the cost of energy (COE). Monte Carlo simulations are employed to model the uncertainties for the whole operational life of the Nu-R HES. The findings confirm Nu-R HES as an affordable solution, delivering technical performance and a competitive COE with the current household and industrial electricity tariffs in Albania.