Analysis on the high-quality development of nuclear energy under the goal of peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality

Striving to peak carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality (known as the "Dual-Carbon" goal) is an inevitable requirement for elevating the environmental resource constraints and realizing harmonious coexistence between the mankind and the earth. In the energy system, nuclear energy offers various advantages, such as high energy density, low carbon emission, strong environmental adaptability and large potential for energy co-generation and co-supply. It is one of the supporting energy sources for the transformation and upgradation of the energy system to a clean, efficient and low-carbon way. In this paper, the opportunities and challenges for innovation-driven nuclear energy development in the fields of electricity generation, hydrogen production, heat supply and seawater desalination under the goal of "Dual-Carbon" are discussed and analyzed. Besides, the relevant research on improving the safety and economy of the pressurized water reactor (PWR) and sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) conducted by the Nuclear THermal–hydraulic research Lab (NuTHeL) of Xi’an Jiaotong University is briefly introduced.