PSI WP1 Work Summary – Nuclear heat in agriculture applications
Publish date: 21/07/2026
The latest work of WP1 shows potential of nuclear heat in agriculture, especially for greenhouse heating, where it can improve energy efficiency, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and lower carbon emissions.
Nuclear heat has significant potential for agricultural applications, particularly in greenhouse heating systems. Its use offers opportunities to improve energy efficiency, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and lower 
emissions. This report demonstrates the technical feasibility, reliability and cost-effectiveness of nuclear heat for agriculture, particularly for greenhouse heating, through a case study of the long-term utilization of nuclear heat by Max Schwarz AG.
Seasonal variations in greenhouse heating demand suggest that cogeneration plants are particularly suitable for this application, as reduced heat demand in summer can be balanced by increasing electricity production, unlike in heat-only reactors. However, other agricultural processes can partially compensate for these seasonal variations in heat demand for heat-only reactors.
(1) Figure 1: Monthly heat consumption in Max Schwarz AG's greenhouses.
Beyond greenhouse heating, the analysis explores the potential applications of nuclear heat in pre-production and post-harvesting agricultural processes. The suitability of different nuclear heat sources is largely dependent on the process temperature requirements. Low-temperature applications can effectively utilize nuclear waste heat, whereas higher temperatures applications require heat supplied from heat cogeneration nuclear plants or dedicated heat-only reactors.
(2) Figure 2: Temperature ranges for agricultural heat applications.
The report also studies the economic and environmental implications of nuclear heat utilization in agriculture. A notable case is the planned shutdown of the Beznau nuclear power plant, which currently supplies heat to Max Schwarz AG. The analysis indicates that this closure could significantly affect heating economics, with future heat prices expected to be at least double the current rates. This will also raise the challenge of securing an alternative non-fossil-fuel based heat source in order to minimize environmental impacts.
For more information, do not hesitate to reach out to:
Farah Alsafadi