US energy company Constellation has started up its 1MW nuclear hydrogen demonstration project at Nine Mile Point in the state of New York. The project uses a proton-exchange-membrane electrolyser powered by nuclear energy to produce 560kg/d of hydrogen, meeting Nine Mile Point’s operational hydrogen use for cooling the plant.

The US Department of Energy (DoE) awarded $5.8mn towards the $14.5mn total cost of the project. The DoE is also supporting three other nuclear hydrogen pilot projects. The Davis-Besse project in Ohio is expected to start hydrogen production this year, while the Prairie Island project in Minnesota and Palo Verde project in Arizona are likely to start up next year.

“Nine Mile Point is going to show the world that nuclear power is the most efficient and cost-effective way to make [hydrogen] from a carbon-free resource” Dominguez, Constellation

The DoE is also due to award funding for 6–10 regional hydrogen hubs this autumn, at least one of which will be focused on producing hydrogen via nuclear energy. Constellation is part of three hubs, the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, the Northeast Clean Hydrogen Hub and the Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub—all which have been encouraged by the DoE to proceed to full application for funding after an initial bid in November.

While direct nuclear-powered hydrogen is outside what the EU considers ‘renewable’ hydrogen, it is likely to meet the US criteria for low-carbon intensity to qualify for the clean hydrogen production tax credit. The intergovernmental Nuclear Energy Agency estimates that using existing nuclear plants to power electrolysis could achieve a levelised cost of hydrogen below $2/kg—although newbuild nuclear installations would bump this cost above $3/kg.

“Hydrogen will be an indispensable tool in solving the climate crisis, and Nine Mile Point is going to show the world that nuclear power is the most efficient and cost-effective way to make it from a carbon-free resource,” says Joe Dominguez, CEO of Constellation. The company has committed to investing $900mn through 2025 towards nuclear hydrogen production.

“In partnership with the DoE and others, we see this technology creating a pathway to decarbonising industries that remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels, while creating clean-energy jobs and strengthening domestic energy security,” Dominguez adds.

---

Author: Polly Martin