For the first time, the global potential of Coal-to-Nuclear is quantified

August 4, 2025

🏭 9,470 coal-fired power units have been assessed: 14.3% (371.6 GW) are suitable for Coal-to-Nuclear conversion. New research article by our partners at Xiamen University

A new research article is now available: β€œUncovering the Technical Potential of Coal-to-Nuclear (C2N) Power Generation on a Global Scale”

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πŸ’‘Key Points:

  • 9,470 Coal Fired Power Units (CFPUs) have been assessed on factors including proximity to major water sources, age and combustion technology
  • 14.3% (371.6 GW) are suitable pioneers for C2N
  • C2N indicates a Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of 71.84-101.48 US $/MWh
  • C2N is more economically competitive than CCS: 133-160 US$/MWh for a Coal + Carbon Capture & Storage solution
  • The lifecycle emissions footprint of a C2N plant are ~4 gCO2e/kWh, similar to solar (6g) and wind (4g)
  • Coal-CCS (109g) and gas-CCS (78g) still have relatively β€˜high’ emissions compared to a global average target of 15 gCO2e/kWh in 2050 for a 2℃ world
  • C2N has a higher energy density than solar or wind renewables, which are weather-dependent and intermittent
  • Recommended as supplementary to a high-penetration of renewables, C2N provides:
    • Power System Flexibility
    • ‍Spinning inertia
    • Grid stability
  • $275 million in additional economic activity for a 1,000 MWe C2N project
  • Overnight costs reduced by up to 35% compared to a greenfield nuclear development, as existing coal facility infrastructure is reused
  • Jobs and a clean future for coal power workers and their communities

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Decarbonisation is an urgency πŸ”₯

We must replace coal-fired power with carbon-free energy πŸ›

Coal-to-Nuclear changes the game! 🎾

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πŸ‘‰ Read here: Jing, R., Wu, X., Weng, T., Qvist, S., Bartela, Ł., Lee, J.I., Ning, L., Wu, J., Shah, N., Zhao, Y., Zhang, Y., Uncovering the Technical Potential of Coal-to-Nuclear (C2N) Power Generation on a Global Scale, Nexus (2025)

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This research article was written by Repower Initiative in collaboration with our esteemed academic partners around the world. Special thanks go to Yaoli ZHANG and the stellar team from Xiamen University, China.

We appreciate your insights!

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Are you interested in exploring the 9,470+ Coal Fired Power Units with other Repowering technological pathways, such as Geothermal, Concentrated Solar Power, Thermal Energy Storage and as a Renewable Interconnect Point?

Check out our interactive tool RepowerScore - it’s free to use!

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