uranium news, page-11

Green Hydrogen from Carbon free Nuclear
"Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy and Idaho National Laboratory have joined forces to demonstrate a system that uses a nuclear plant’s steam and electricity to split water and produce hydrogen.With the help of $10m in federal funding from the US Department of Energy, the partnership will be the first of its kind to pair a commercial electricity generator with high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) technology.In a statement released yesterday (9th Nov), Idaho National Laboratory described HTSE technology as a natural fit at nuclear power plants, where high-quality steam and electricity are both accessible."

With peak demand power by default meaning at non peak periods we have spare generation capacity. Hydrogen is probably the most efficient large scale store or use of the spare capacity from N power generators.

It is all about proof not theories of course

"Richard Boardman, National Technical Kead for the DOE Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program’s Flexible Plant Operations and Generation Pathway, said, “This is a game-changer for both nuclear energy and carbon-free hydrogen production for numerous industries.”“It offers a view of the energy structures of the future, which will integrate systems to maximise energy use, generator profitability and grid reliability all while minimizing carbon emissions.”Tim O’Connor, Xcel Energy’s Chief Generation Officer, added, “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.”“This new process continues to demonstrate how our nuclear team has innovated to make our fleet more productive and valuable for our customers.”A recent analysis under DOE’s H2@Scale initiative, led by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, estimated that hydrogen produced by HTSE at a nuclear plant could be cost competitive in today’s market."

https://www.h2-view.com/story/xcel-energy-and-idaho-national-laboratory-to-use-nuclear-energy-for-hydrogen-production/