BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT | NUCLEAR HYDROGEN
Nuclear’s hydrogen combination
An IAEA report into nuclear hydrogen examines the implications of
combining nuclear with renewables to power electrolysis. It finds that while nuclear is well suited to this application, integrating nuclear with electrolysis and renewables systems is not straightforward.
HYDROGEN IS SEEN BY MANY as a clean energy carrier for the future. Previously it was almost entirely produced by steam reforming of fossil fuels, but it can also be produced by direct electrolysis of water. That process requires heat and electrical energy, along with a source of water, which makes it of interest to operators of nuclear and renewable energy plants, who may find themselves selling power at low or negative prices at times when generation exceeds demand. Producing hydrogen potentially offers a new market opportunity to the plant operator. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has published a draft report, ‘Assessing technical and economic aspects of nuclear hydrogen production for near-term deployment’ that brings together research on this topic. Electrolysis has been used to generate hydrogen since the mid-19th century. Current technologies include Alkaline cells, which use cheap, non-noble metal catalysts for their electrodes. Meanwhile, PEM cells (proton emission membranes) can operate at high pressure, consuming less
power and producing high purity hydrogen, and can be coupled directly to an intermittent source of electricity like renewables. High temperature electrolysis uses a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). It requires energy in heat and electricity and is suited for systems such as a high temperature nuclear reactor or light water reactors together with heat recovery. One study featured, by the University of Purdue in the
USA, examined the heat and operational characteristics of different types of reactor alongside the necessary characteristics for various types of hydrogen production (steam methane reforming, low temperature electrolysis, high temperature electrolysis and thermo-chemical cycles). Based on appropriate matching of temperatures, heat flux and power, the Purdue study looked at coupling systems which integrate nuclear and hydrogen production. The report concludes that a nuclear reactor could be
used to drive a steam reforming plant, a coal gasification facility, or an electrolysis plant. However, the key to
Above: Solar and nuclear could deliver a solution ideally suited to large-scale hydrogen production Source: IAEA 46 | February 2025 |
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