Nuclear Power Moves Beyond Electricity to Heat Cities and Make Clean Water

Nuclear fission produces heat that is normally converted into steam to drive electricity-generating turbines.

Nuclear power is usually associated with electricity, yet the enormous amount of heat produced inside a reactor can serve many other everyday needs. That heat can warm or cool entire districts, produce low-carbon hydrogen, desalinate seawater and supply energy-intensive industries that currently depend heavily on fossil fuels. Expanding these uses could help countries cut emissions in sectors where switching to clean electricity alone may not be practical.

These possibilities shaped discussions at the 26th International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles Dialogue Forum, held in Bangkok in August. The five-day gathering brought together 92 experts from 20 countries and one education network, including technology developers, regulators, policymakers, researchers, utilities and potential users. Their conversations focused on how nuclear energy systems could support national development, strengthen energy security and create new economic opportunities without compromising safety.

Countries explore more value from every reactor

Nuclear fission produces heat that is normally converted into steam to drive electricity-generating turbines. A reactor can also send part of this thermal energy to nearby heating networks, industrial facilities, hydrogen plants or desalination systems. Nuclear cogeneration allows electricity and non-electric services to be produced at the same time, giving countries more value from the same facility and making better use of the energy released during reactor operation.

The technology is already being used on a meaningful scale. In 2025, 45 power reactors across 10 countries supplied the equivalent of 2,013 gigawatt-hours of heat for non-electric purposes, according to the IAEA's Power Reactor Information System. Most of this output supported district heating in China and Russia. Greater deployment could replace heat generated from coal, oil and gas while providing reliable energy for factories, expanding cities, hydrogen production and coastal communities facing freshwater shortages.

Thailand is studying nuclear power options that include small modular reactors and other advanced technologies. Roppon Picha of the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology said cleaning electricity grids addresses only part of the climate challenge because industry, transport and heating account for a large share of global carbon dioxide emissions. The forum allowed countries to consider how advanced nuclear systems could meet these needs while addressing regulatory, financial and safety questions.

Clear standards and stronger cooperation could unlock investment

Participants called for licensing systems to be aligned with low-carbon certification, financing frameworks and guarantees that customers will purchase the heat, hydrogen or water produced. They recommended international safety standards covering the physical, thermal and chemical connections between nuclear reactors and linked industrial systems. A technology-neutral database containing safety findings and cost information from demonstration plants could give investors clearer evidence and reduce the financial uncertainty surrounding new projects.

Countries with established nuclear technologies and those entering the sector were encouraged to design safe, affordable and connected clean-energy networks together. Forum participants viewed nuclear cogeneration as a near-term priority rather than a distant possibility. Stronger cooperation across regulation, supply chains, research and technology development will be needed to turn promising designs into projects that communities and industries can use.

Yujie Dong of China's Tsinghua University said high-temperature gas-cooled reactors could provide industrial heat, replace fossil fuel-based systems and support rising energy demand from AI operations and data centres. The programme also gave participants practical insight through a tour of the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology's TRR-1/M1 research reactor and radioactive water treatment facility. The discussions showed that the next chapter of nuclear energy may be shaped not only by the electricity flowing into power grids, but also by the heat, clean fuel and freshwater reaching homes and businesses.