Research Article StudiesonOptimalStrategytoAdoptNuclearPowerPlantsinto SaudiArabianEnergySystemUsingMESSAGETool ShadwanM.M.Esmail andJaeHakCheong Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1732, Deogyeong-daero, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Republic of Korea CorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedtoJaeHakCheong;jhcheong@khu.ac.kr Received 14 August 2020; Revised 12 March 2021; Accepted 23 April 2021; Published 3 May 2021 AcademicEditor:GuglielmoLomonaco Copyright©2021ShadwanM.M.EsmailandJaeHakCheong.isisanopenaccessarticledistributedundertheCreative CommonsAttributionLicense,whichpermitsunrestricteduse,distribution,andreproductioninanymedium,providedthe originalworkisproperlycited. Anoptimallong-termelectricpowerstrategyforSaudiArabiatoadoptnuclearpowerwasevaluatedusingtheMESSAGEtool. SaudiArabiaispredictedtoexperienceanelectricityshortageby2025withthepresentenergysystem.iselectricityshortage could be postponed until 2035 by rehabilitating the existing power plants. e MESSAGE model predicts that adopting a combinationofrenewable(i.e.,solarandwind),advancedtraditionalpower(i.e.,gasturbine,steam,andcombinedcycle),and nucleartechnologiesisthemostcompetitivefuturestrategytosupply43.7%,41.6%,and3.8%,respectively,ofSaudiArabia’s electricity needs by 2050. is paper proposes an optimal strategy for adopting nuclear power. e nuclear capacity of three scenarioswasevaluated:asingleAPR-1400nuclearreactor,asingleSMART-100nuclearreactor,andacombinationofthesetwo reactors.eresultsofthisstudyindicatethatthehighestnuclearcapacitywasachievedbythecombinationoftheAPR-1400and SMART-100 reactors followed by the single APR-1400 reactor and then the single SMART-100 reactor. However, the single G4ECONSnuclearreactorshowsahighercapacitythanthesingleAPR-1400reactorinotherevaluatedscenarios.ecombined reactorstrategymaybethemostfeasibleoptionifthecapitalcostofafirst-of-a-kindSMART-100reactorisreducedby62.3%.e cost reductions result from including factors like the time required to build the nuclear power plants in the MESSAGE tool calculation.Also,CO 2 taxationwillincreasenuclearpower’sfeasibilityintheSaudiArabianenergysystem.However,theshareof renewableenergyispredictedtobemoreaffectedbythetaxationofCO 2 .Inthisstudy,theproposedapproachcanprovidemore flexiblestrategicoptionsforcountriesembarkingonnuclearenergy.eseflexiblestrategicoptionscanoptimizetheirnational energy mix for long-term planning. 1.Introduction Energy, including electricity, plays a crucial role in the economic growth and social development of Saudi Arabia. Although Saudi Arabia has been the world’s largest oil producer and exporter [1], previous studies predict that SaudiArabiawillbeanetoilimporterby2030or2038.is will happen unless appropriate measures for the develop- ment of sustainable energy systems are immediately un- dertaken [2‘3]. Currently, Saudi Arabia ranks 11 th in the worldinelectricpowerproductionand13 th intheworldin electricity consumption [4]. e Saudi Electric Company wasthe14 th biggestelectricitycompanyintheworldatthe endofSeptember2017[5]. In2015,SaudiArabiahadmorethan940generatorunits in46powerplants(PPs)distributedoverfourgeographical regions(i.e.,loadareas)[6].However,morePPsareneeded tomatchitsrapidlyexpandingelectricitydemandrate.is electricitydemandrateispredictedtoincreaseannuallyby 5%–8%[7–9].Itisreportedthatdesalinationofwatersig- nificantly affects the energy Equation in the Middle East. Desalination of water is required more in the Middle East thaninanyotherpartoftheworld.us,energyandwater arecloselyintertwinedintheMiddleEast.Inthisregion,any discussion about the outlook of electricity also becomes a discussionaboutwater.eMiddleEastusesdesalinationto narrow the gap between freshwater withdrawals and a sustainable water supply [10]. Hindawi Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations Volume 2021, Article ID 8818479, 26 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8818479