Xcel Energy, Idaho National Lab form private-public partnership to tap nuclear energy for hydrogen production
A new partnership between Xcel Energy and Idaho National Laboratory, together with more than $10 million in federal funding, will investigate how to use nuclear energy to make hydrogen used at nuclear plants and, perhaps, sold to other industries.
Pairing high-temperature steam electrolysis with commercial heat, the pair will use a Minnesota nuclear power plant to split water for the effort. Their hope is that eventually, this hydrogen could be used to power vehicles or offered to other industrial sectors that utilize hydrogen, such as steel or ammonia production. This would allow nuclear plants to make and sell commodities other than electricity.
“This is a game-changer for both nuclear energy and carbon-free hydrogen production for numerous industries,” Richard Boardman, national technical lead for the U.S. Department of Energy Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program’s Flexible Plant Operations and Generation Pathway, said. “It offers a view of the energy structures of the future, which will integrate systems to maximize energy use, generator profitability, and grid reliability, all while minimizing carbon emissions.”
It is a first of its kind project but builds on another launched last year, which sought to demonstrate how hydrogen production facilities could be installed at existing nuclear power plants. This would be a radical change for many industries since today, industrial-grade hydrogen is produced by stripping it from natural gas molecules. The effort, unfortunately, creates carbon monoxide along the way.
This would be a huge advantage for nuclear power plants, which neither emit carbon or other air pollutants. The results could provide a major carbon footprint reduction for associated industries.
“Xcel Energy was the first major American utility to pursue a vision of 100% carbon-free electricity, and now we’ll be the first company to produce carbon-free hydrogen at a nuclear plant using this technology,” said Tim O’Connor, Xcel Energy chief generation officer.
