A new coalition of more than 40 organisations including German technology company Siemens and US power generator Constellation Energy has called on governments to specify the use of nuclear-powered electrolysis in their clean hydrogen strategies.

The coalition, called the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI), urges policymakers to set explicit goals and metrics for nuclear hydrogen and to build reactors into the design of hydrogen hubs.

Hydrogen policies should avoid colour labels such as green and blue, and instead include technologies based on carbon footprint, says the NHI, the members of which also include French utility Engie, US technology firm Cummins and electrolyser manufacturer Nel, as well as multiple nuclear industry players.

“Nuclear energy remains the most efficient and economical way to produce [hydrogen] on the scale we need” Wright, Constellation

“Climate experts agree we cannot fully solve the climate crisis without abundant sources of hydrogen, and nuclear energy remains the most efficient and economical way to produce it on the scale we need,” says Colleen Wright, vice-president of corporate strategy for Constellation, the US’ largest operator of nuclear power plants.

Governments should allocate targeted funding to nuclear energy research, development and demonstration with near-, medium-, and long-term goals to create a pathway for large-scale commercial hydrogen production from existing reactors within the next three years, the NHI says.

Demonstrations of hydrogen production using high-temperature steam electrolysis from advanced reactors should be achieved by 2028, with pilot thermochemical production of hydrogen within the next five years, it says in a list of recommendations to policymakers.

Further recommendations include tax incentives and the use of contracts for difference to subsidise purchases of nuclear hydrogen for an initial five-year period. Nuclear hydrogen should be included in guarantee-of-origin renewable energy trading schemes, the NHI says.

“Hydrogen has an important role to play in a decarbonised global energy system, and we can unlock massive opportunities to quickly scale it by leveraging nuclear energy,” says Elina Teplinsky, partner at law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, on behalf of the NHI.  “But there is much work to be done to engender policy support, foster commercial partnerships, address technical issues and craft financing models for nuclear hydrogen projects.”

Bullish outlook

The US is especially bullish on the outlook for nuclear hydrogen. It has several projects underway to demonstrate low- and high-temperature steam electrolysis. The Department of Energy is backing a project to produce clean hydrogen at the US’ largest nuclear power plant at Palo Verde in Phoenix, Arizona with a $20mn funding package.

Elsewhere, the European Parliament voted earlier this month to include nuclear and natural gas in the EU definition of “environmentally sustainable economic activities” under certain conditions, potentially strengthening the case for nuclear hydrogen.

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Author: Stuart Penson