IAEA 47th General Conference : Scientific Forum : Road to Hydricity

Reports from the Scientific Forum

On the Energy Rich Road to "Hydricity"
Experts Eye Nuclear Power for Producing Hydrogen Fuel

It's no quick route, though fast becoming a yellowbrick road to an energy wonderland. From Iceland to Japan, hydrogen for power -- through fuel cells for automobiles, pipelines for industries, and generating stations for electricity -- is enticing visions of new "clean and green" technologies down the line.

At the IAEA's Scientific Forum 16 September, energy experts took stock of the rising hydrogen economy, including the fuel's future production by advanced "next generation" nuclear power plants. One big issue is how best to produce enough hydrogen affordably, and fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear power are all in the running as options.

The reason is that making hydrogen takes energy, lots of it. Though the most plentiful gas on earth, hydrogen rarely exists by itself. Instead it binds with other elements, like it does with oxygen to form water molecules. Hydrogen's attraction is clear -- it has the highest energy content of any known fuel and when it's burned, the "waste" is water, with no carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide as unwanted byproducts.

Growing Market in Industries

Today most commercial hydrogen is produced from water using a process called electrolysis. Research is heavily focused on other methods, including advanced systems producing very hot heat and steam.

Virtually all hydrogen marketed now -- about 50 million tonnes a year worldwide -- is made from natural gas, not without drawbacks. One problem is the emission of carbon dioxide linked to global warming. Nuclear power, essentially carbon-free, is seen as a prime alternative producer, if the costs are right.

"Some are calling it 'hydricity'," says Prof. K.L. Peddicord, Vice Chancellor for Research and Federal Relations at Texas A&M University in the USA, in describing nuclear production of both electricity and hydrogen. "Multiple approaches are being looked at today. Over the coming years, the need to develop energy strategies to substitute for oil and gas will become increasingly acute."

Though electricity from nuclear power already can be used for hydrogen production, the focus is on developing new plant designs to produce the huge amounts of hydrogen that will be needed. In the USA, a leading driver is the initiative called Generation IV for research and development of advanced nuclear plants called high-temperature gas reactors.

"Hydrogen is a commodity and the market is expanding rapidly," says Prof. Peddicord, who surveyed developments at the Scientific Forum's session on innovative nuclear energy systems. Main customers include oil refineries, where hydrogen is needed for processing heavy crude oils to make gasoline and other oil products. Hydrogen pipeline networks increasingly link refineries near Houston, Texas, and other parts of the country, he notes, a sign of the oil industry's rising demand for hydrogen.

High Stakes, Rich Rewards

The stakes are high, from energy, economic, and environmental standpoints, and potential rewards rich. Countries are working together, given the investment costs. Earlier this year, for example, the USA and European Union forged an agreement on hydrogen fuel cell development. US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham is bullish on the future, placing all options for hydrogen production from renewable, fossil, and nuclear energy on the table.

"We are optimistic about the prospects for hydrogen," he says, "not just as the transportation fuel of the future, but also for its potential to generate electricity to heat and power our homes and businesses. We are so confident and committed that over the next five years the Department of Energy will invest $1.7 billion in research and development of hydrogen vehicles and hydrogen infrastructure technologies." A string of new research grants was made to Texas A&M and other US universities this month.

Other countries are investing in hydrogen as well. They include Iceland's ambitious programme, and programmes in Japan, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, and France, which this month hosted the first European Hydrogen Association conference.

Reports from the Scientific Forum

Related Links