Agency promotes use of nuclear plants in hydrogen production
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- Category: Renewables
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25 Mar 2012
- Published on Sunday, 25 March 2012 18:29
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There is an existing structure for the large-scale production of hydrogen which remains largely untapped according to the International Atomic Energy Agency – nuclear power plants.
According to Ibrahim Khamis, Ph.D., a scientist from the International Atomic Energy Agency, heat from existing nuclear plants could be ideal sites for hydrogen production because of a product which they produce in abundance – steam.
On small scales, hydrogen power comes from a process called electrolysis, where an electric current flowing through water splits the H2O molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
This process is more efficient and less expensive if water is first heated to form steam, with the electric current passed through the steam.
Mr. Khamis said nuclear power plants are ideal for hydrogen production because they already produce the heat for changing water into steam and the electricity for breaking the steam down into hydrogen and oxygen.
"Hydrogen production using nuclear energy could reduce dependence on oil for fueling motor vehicles and the use of coal for generating electricity. In doing so, hydrogen could have a beneficial impact on global warming, since burning hydrogen releases only water vapor and no carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. There is a dramatic reduction in pollution," Mr. Khamis said.
Together with other scientists and economists at the agency, Mr. Khamis is trying to determine how current nuclear power reactors – 435 are operational worldwide – and future nuclear power reactors could be enlisted in hydrogen production.
One possibility seen by experts is a system of generating hydrogen using low-temperature electrolysis while taking advantage of low electricity prices during the nuclear power plant's off-peak hours.
Future plants, now designed specifically for hydrogen production, would use a more efficient high-temperature electrolysis process or would be coupled to thermochemical processes currently being studied.
"Nuclear hydrogen from electrolysis of water or steam is a reality now, yet the economics needs to be improved," said Mr. Khamis.
He noted that some countries are considering construction of new nuclear plants with high-temperature steam electrolysis stations that would allow them to generate hydrogen gas on a large scale in anticipation of growing economic opportunities. – EcoSeed Staff
