20.500.12556/RUL-175194 Model-based comparison of nuclear and renewable energy based strategies for slovenia Decarbonising the primary energy sector is essential for achieving a sustainable electricity supply and requires a transition away from fossil fuels. Coal- and gas-fired plants are expected to remain only as strategic reserves, operating during emergencies or other critical situations. Two development strategies defined in Slovenia’s National Energy and Climate Plan are evaluated: a nuclear-based pathway and a renewable-only pathway. A zero-dimensional energy system model with hourly resolution was applied, integrating nuclear, thermal, hydro, wind, solar, and pumped hydro storage to represent projected 2040 conditions. System performance was assessed through grid stability, carbon intensity, import dependency, and spatial efficiency. The nuclear pathway provided stable baseload generation, minimised fluctuations, and reduced reliance on storage and imports. It achieved 113 kgCO₂eq/MWh with land use of 2.4 km²/TWh. The renewable-only pathway showed high variability, surpluses exceeding several gigawatts, and greater balancing needs, resulting in 148 kgCO₂eq/MWh and land use of 9.1 km²/TWh. An additional, nuclear-only variant further demonstrated that one reactor can replace several gigawatts of solar capacity while maintaining stability and reducing emissions. The results question the relevance and feasibility of renewable-only strategies and confirm the crucial role of nuclear power in ensuring secure, low-carbon electricity supply. energy transition energy system modelling energy flows environmental impact analysis energetski prehod modeliranje energetskih sistemov energijski tokovi analize okoljskih vplivov true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2025-10-21 10:12:50 2025-10-21 10:12:59 2025-12-07 03:52:22 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 5 str. no. 1 Vol. 74 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 620.9:502 1849-0751 254015235 RAZ_Koncar_Mihael_Bostjan_2025.pdf RAZ_Koncar_Mihael_Bostjan_2025.pdf 1 7A1D4EF90CED1C10BCECDE4FA7691C27 11fdd936bc83df0acfe8b9ebce6b5e4eb49b7af18bc2b395bcfac0fe4be94ad0 aaecc4f9-ae55-11f0-9328-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=220512 http://journalofenergy.com/index.php/joe/article/view/715 1 7a1438f9-ae55-11f0-9328-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=220510 Fakulteta za strojništvo 0 0 0