Nuclear power, hydrogen production

Hydrogen production holds renewed promise for nuclear energy, as nuclear-based hydrogen production can provide an essentially carbon emissions-free source of hydrogen, significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and open a new area of application for nuclear energy that may eventually exceed the use of nuclear power for electricity. 

The JAEA selects the IS-process to be the basis for commercial development mainly because it is seen more suited to large-scale nuclear hydrogen production than HTE [9] and other alternatives. However, an available HTE-based plant can be connected to the reactor in the same manner as the IS process plant is connected. The HTE similarly requires a high-temperature process heat, and about 25% of its total energy input is heat and the balance electricity, which are fully and efficiently met in-house by the reactor heat and gas turbine power plant. 

Matsunaga, K. et al., Hydrogen production system with high temperature electrolysis for nuclear power plant, Paper 6282 in Proc. ICAPP 06, Reno, NV, June 4-8,2006. 

The current proven coal reserves of the United States are predicted to support this production level for 200 years. This liquefied coal reserve exceeds the proven oil reserves of the entire world. The reactors could also produce hydrogen or gaseous hydrocarbons from the coal as well. The excess heat from nuclear power plants could be used for central heating. 

In the light of the projected growth of demand for energy services, particularly electricity, there is a renewed interest in the extension of nuclear power in some countries. With uranium being a finite resource as well, Chapter 4 focuses primarily on the question of a future expansion of nuclear power in the context of the availability of nuclear fuels. Moreover, the evolution of the next generation of nuclear reactors, such as breeder reactors or reactors suitable for hydrogen production, is addressed. 

Nuclear power is not a promising option in the context of hydrogen corridors. First, it is cheaper to transport uranium or enriched uranium, or even electricity, instead of hydrogen. Second, there may be acceptance problems related to nuclear power in some countries (on both sides the production country as well as the consumer country). 

Fig. 25. Series of towers comprising part of the heavy water production plant at Ontario Hydro s Bruce nuclear power complex near Tiverton on the shores of Lake Huron. Heavy water is a clear, colorless liquid that looks and tastes like ordinary water. It occurs naturally in ordinary water in the proportion of approximately one part heavy water to 7000 parts of ordinary water. While ordinary water is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen (H20), heavy water (D.-1.0) is made of up of deuterium—a form, or isotope, of hydrogen—and oxygen. Deuterium is heavier than hydrogen in that it has an extra neutron in its atomic nucleus, so heavy water weighs about 10% more than ordinary water. It also has different freezing and boiling points. It is the extra neutron that makes heavy water more suitable than ordinary water for use in CANDU nuclear reactors as both a moderator and a heat transport medium. (Ontario Hydro, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)...

Alternative resources might not be exploitable today, but that it might become a better bargain when, or if, Armenia scraps nuclear power. Over time, hydrogen, wind and solar productions may attract more and more donor support from the government and from others. 

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