Nuclear hydrogen production for industrial decarbonization: Creating the business case for the near term

Hydrogen production via water splitting using nuclear electricity is one of the most promising, mature and near-term deployable low carbon routes to establishing the hydrogen economy in nuclear-equipped nations. Hydrogen has enormous potential to decarbonize multiple industrial sectors, including the hard-to-abate industries, which release significant quantities of greenhouse gases every year. Both nuclear and renewables can be used as energy sources for green hydrogen production, but presently, the focus is on renewables, possibly because of the high upfront capital investment for nuclear power projects and the skewed perception of risk and safety issues surrounding nuclear energy. In this work, the rationale for supporting the deployment and growth of the nuclear-driven hydrogen supply sector is established from the perspective of the power plant owner and the potential off-take industries that will require large quantities of low carbon hydrogen for decarbonizing some or all of their operations. The status of the technology alternatives, their techno-commercial features, the enabling mechanisms for project deployment, and the potential barriers along the way are analysed, and key recommendations for near-term policy action are provided.