(Washington / USA) – The US Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting four demonstration projects to produce hydrogen using nuclear energy. Nuclear power is considered a “clean” energy source in the USA – unlike in other parts of the world – because it does not emit any CO2, at least when producing electricity.
The DOE started working with utilities and power plant operators through its subordinate authorities EERE (Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy) and NE (Office of Nuclear Energy).
- Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Plant (Oswego, New York): The DOE is supporting the construction and installation of a low-temperature electrolysis system. The project will be the first nuclear-powered plant to produce clean hydrogen in the USA and will use the energy source for cooling itself. The nuclear power plant went into commercial operation in 1969 after six years of construction and is the oldest in the United States. The operating license for Unit 1 ends in 2029; For Unit 2 (construction began in 1974, commissioning in 1988), the operating license runs until 2046. The owner and operator is Constellation Energy, part of Exelon Generation Co., LLC. Constellation plans to begin producing hydrogen before the end of the year.
- Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant (Oak Harbor, Ohio): The operator Energy Harbor Corp. wants to install a low-temperature electrolysis system there. The aim is to demonstrate “the economic advantages of clean hydrogen production”, which could “facilitate future opportunities for large-scale commercialization”. Production is scheduled to begin in 2023, and the proceeds would be sold regionally, for example as fuel for a local bus fleet. “Davis Besse” began commercial operations in 1978 and is owned by Nuclear Gen Corp.
- Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant (Red Wing, Minnesota): Bloom Energy and owner Xcel Energy Inc. are working on a project here to demonstrate high-temperature electrolysis. The data collected from this demonstration will be used to expand this process. Hydrogen production is expected to begin in early 2024. Reactors 1 and 2 went into operation in 1973 and 1974.
- Palo Verde Power Plant (Tonopah, Arizona): The DOE is currently negotiating with Arizona Public Service (APS) and PNW Hydrogen to award a contract to demonstrate another low-temperature electrolysis system. The hydrogen will be used to generate electricity during times of high demand or to produce chemicals and other fuels. The project could start producing hydrogen in 2024 if negotiations are completed. The nuclear power plant was commissioned in 1986. The Arizona Public Service Co. is both the owner and operator.
The demonstration projects are part of a project worth around eight billion dollars Funding program, which the DOE
announced in September to increase the production of clean hydrogen and reduce costs as part of the infrastructure law signed in November 2021. The plan calls for the establishment of six to ten regional hydrogen centers in the country. Currently, about 95 percent of the hydrogen produced in the United States comes from natural gas, which produces environmentally harmful emissions. The DOE estimates that a single 1.000-megawatt reactor could produce up to 150.000 tons of hydrogen per year.
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The APS-operated Palo Verde nuclear power plant in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, is one of the largest electricity generators in the USA and is the only one in the world located far from natural waters. The cooling water required for nuclear power plants comes from recycled wastewater in the region. © Arizona Public Service Company
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Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Plant. © Constellation Energy
