The US has reiterated its aim to position nuclear power as a key source of commercially viable hydrogen production.

Four projects are in progress to demonstrate nuclear hydrogen’s value proposition at operating plants using both low- and high-temperature steam electrolysis, says David Livingston, senior adviser in the US Department of State.

In addition, work is underway at the Idaho National Lab with a Connecticut-based company to bring the cost of high temperature electrolysis to parity with steam methane reforming, Livingston told the Hydrogen Americas Summit this week.

“In many important cases, nuclear can be the most cost-effective and efficient method for producing hydrogen" Livingston, US Department of State

“Much effort is being put toward preparing nuclear hydrogen for commercial deployment in the US,” he says.

“In many important cases, nuclear can be the most cost-effective and efficient method for producing hydrogen as it provides heat and electricity continuously, allowing for high-temperature electrolysis while avoiding carbon emissions.”

Ideally suited

New nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors and other advanced reactors are ideally suited for hydrogen production as they can provide dispatchable heat and electricity and can be sized to meet demand, according to Livingston.

“They do not require a grid connection and can run at higher temperatures, though some technological and economic hurdles persist,” he says.

“I'm confident that the down payments that this government is making in clean hydrogen will not only drive down emissions at home but create tools, business models and new services in the hydrogen economy that we will see increasing global demand for in decades to come.”

In addition to nuclear, the US will develop green and blue hydrogen at scale. It has ambitions to be the world leader on green hydrogen as it leverages its “prolific” renewable resource base.

“Hydrogen has long enjoyed bipartisan support in this country and is a major focus of this administration,” he says.

America’s goal is to lower the cost of clean hydrogen to $1/kg in one decade, according to Livingston.

“The cost of hydrogen from natural gas is already around $1.50/kg. We want clean hydrogen to beat that price and we will use all of our diverse domestic resources to do it—renewables, nuclear and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage,” he adds.

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Author: Stuart Penson