Paradigm Shift: Hydrogen Production via Nuclear Energy

To meet the ambitious goal of achieving "Net-Zero" emissions by 2050, global stakeholders are investing in a wide range of initiatives to accelerate the development and deployment of low- and zero-carbon hydrogen solutions. As the lightest and most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen holds transformative potential for decarbonization. Its unique advantage lies in its clean combustion process, which emits water instead of carbon dioxide (CO2), distinguishing it from conventional fuels and feedstocks. This positions hydrogen as a pivotal energy carrier and feedstock for applications spanning energy storage, transportation, and industrial processes.  

Overview of red, purple and pink hydrogen production

Pink Hydrogen 

• Pink hydrogen is produced entirely through electrolysis, powered by electricity generated from nuclear power plants. 

• In this process, nuclear-generated electricity drives an electrolyzer, which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. 

• Unlike red or purple hydrogen, pink hydrogen does not rely on high reactor temperatures, making it compatible with conventional nuclear reactors used for electricity generation. 

• Established electrolysis technologies like proton exchange membrane (PEM) and alkaline electrolyzers are employed, making this approach straightforward to deploy in areas with existing nuclear power infrastructure. 

Red Hydrogen 

• Red hydrogen is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using high-temperature heat from nuclear reactors through a process called thermolysis. 

• Thermolysis: At extreme temperatures (above 850°C), water molecules break down directly into hydrogen and oxygen without the need for electricity. 

• The process relies on advanced nuclear reactors capable of delivering very high heat, such as high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) or molten salt reactors (MSRs). 

• This method bypasses the inefficiencies of converting heat into electricity, utilizing the reactor’s thermal energy directly. 

Purple Hydrogen 

• Purple hydrogen is created using a hybrid process that combines thermolysis (using reactor heat) and electrolysis (using reactor-generated electricity). 

• Thermolysis provides high-temperature heat to split water molecules, while electrolysis uses electricity to achieve the same outcome. 

• The nuclear reactor serves a dual purpose, supplying both thermal energy for thermolysis and electricity for electrolysis. 

Why Emphasis on Red, Purple, and Pink Hydrogen? 

Unlike variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind, nuclear power provides continuous, reliable baseload energy, ideal for large-scale hydrogen production.  

Nuclear reactors can directly supply high-grade thermal energy across a wide temperature range, from moderate levels (150°C to 400°C) to extreme heat (above 1000°C), depending on reactor type. This versatility allows for efficient hydrogen production without needing electricity as an intermediary, reducing conversion losses. By integrating nuclear energy into hydrogen production, these pathways offer scalable, dependable, and low-carbon solutions, essential for accelerating the global energy transition and achieving net-zero goals. 

To date, there are 60 nuclear power plants under construction, with around 90 in planning stages and over 300 proposed.  In China, which has more nuclear reactors under construction than any other country, the government recently approved a record 11 new reactors across five sites with an investment of $31 billion, aiming to surpass France and the U.S. as the world’s top nuclear energy generator by 2030.   

Major Industry Efforts to Overcoming Barriers  

The nuclear industry is advancing efforts in developing and scaling up small modular reactors (SMRs) and improving advanced light-water reactor (LWR) designs. Revisiting fast-breeder reactors (FBRs), which allow the direct reuse of spent fuel, could help address challenges associated with the high volumes of radioactive waste and spent fuel storage.  

Key Barriers to Overcome 

• Production of hydrogen, or the “hydrogen bubble,” inside the containment building of light water reactors (LWR) during the nuclear fission process with uranium fuel rods immersed in LWR coolant, necessitating complex hydrogen recombining systems. 

• Lengthy permitting and regulatory approval processes, significant cost overruns in total installed capital costs (Capex), and high operating expenses (Opex), all of which drive up the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) throughout the plant’s economic life. 

• The safe and secure processing, long-term storage, and disposal of onsite solid, liquid, and gaseous radioactive wastes generated by LWRs. 

• Addressing risks associated with the effective reprocessing of spent uranium fuel rods. 

Using thorium as a primary fuel in SMRs offers a promising alternative to uranium, potentially overcoming some of the limitations of traditional uranium fuel rods in LWRs. Efforts are also focused on enhancing the reliability, availability, and maintainability of nuclear reactors to extend their economic lifespans beyond the current maximum of 60 years and replace aging LWR plants with newer, more advanced designs, including SMRs. 

The Future of Decarbonization Pathways  

Red, purple, and pink hydrogen production pathways demonstrate the versatility and potential of nuclear energy to revolutionize clean hydrogen production. By leveraging high-temperature heat, reliable electricity, and hybrid processes, these methods offer scalable, low-carbon solutions to decarbonize energy systems and industrial processes.  

While challenges remain—such as regulatory hurdles, cost constraints, and radioactive waste management, as the hydrogen economy gains momentum, nuclear-powered hydrogen production is poised to play a critical role in achieving net-zero emissions—and with this, the industry may well be on its way to a hydrogen-fueled "reaction" of decarbonization. 

Find out more... 

TECH: Key Pathways for Red, Purple, and Pink Hydrogen 

This report provides an analysis of light water reactor technologies, including pressurized and boiling water reactors, alongside advanced systems like high-temperature gas reactors and fast neutron reactors. The report delves into technical best practices, safety standards, and regulatory frameworks, offering detailed reviews of design codes, operational protocols, and in-service inspection requirements. It also evaluates the maturity of key reactor technologies, emphasizing their applications in chemicals and fuels production where high-temperature steam and electricity are essential.  The Report includes a cost-of-production analysis and levelized costs estimates for hydrogen across various pathways, including red, pink, and emerging purple hydrogen technologies. It assesses challenges in cost estimation for nascent technologies and provides detailed insights into total overnight project costs, factoring in regulatory impacts, cost overruns, and delays. Demonstration projects in North America and Europe integrating nuclear energy with electrolysis are explored, highlighting timelines for scaling. Fiscal policies and financial programs across North America, Europe, and Asia aimed at nuclear energy deployment are analyzed, including their role in decarbonizing hydrogen production and supporting energy-intensive industries like AI and data centers.  The main highlights of the Report include: 

• Key Nuclear Reactor Technologies and Industry Best Practices: Overview of top industry design practices, specific regulations, and mandatory codes for technical design, safety, in-service inspection, and protocols for trips and shutdowns. Includes specific criteria for design basis accidents to ensure reactor resilience 

• Cost of Production (COP) and Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH): Detailed cost analysis for red and pink hydrogen, including the challenges of accurately assessing costs for emerging technologies like purple hydrogen production 

• Case Studies of Hydrogen Production Projects: Insights into demonstration projects in North America and Europe that integrate nuclear energy plants with low- and high-temperature electrolysis, including expected timelines for scaling up these projects 

• Financial Policy and Incentives: Review of fiscal policies and financial initiatives across North America, Europe, and Asia aimed at promoting nuclear energy deployment for hydrogen production and for powering AI/data centers 

• Enhanced Decarbonization Focus: Highlights the complementary role of nuclear-based hydrogen in meeting decarbonization goals across sectors, particularly in industries with hard-to-abate emissions 

The report also addresses some main challenges, opportunities, drivers, or constraints which are key to stakeholders: 

• Strategic Policy Support: Key legislation, such as the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024 (ADVANCE Act) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), along with supportive national policies in Europe and Asia, aims to boost the deployment of advanced nuclear energy and hydrogen production technologies 

• Challenges with Advanced Small Modular Reactors: SMRs, while promising, face technical challenges in meeting process heat requirements for chemicals and fuel production, such as differences in temperature and pressure needs (e.g., saturated vs. superheated steam vs. supercritical steam) 

• Supply Chain and Waste Management Risks: The nuclear supply chain faces potential bottlenecks, including limited uranium availability and constraints in managing spent reactor fuel and radioactive waste, impacting long-term sustainability 

• Opportunities for Nuclear Development at Legacy Sites: Greenfield nuclear plants at former coal-fired plant locations and brownfield expansions at existing nuclear sites provide viable options for nuclear energy deployment with reduced permitting challenges 

• Technological Advances in High-Temperature Reactors: Innovations such as High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors expand nuclear applications to higher-temperature processes, supporting a broader range of industrial decarbonization needs 

• Growing Demand from Data Centers and AI: The rapid expansion of data centers and AI technologies is increasing power demands, driving interest in reliable, zero-emission nuclear energy to meet these energy-intensive sectors’ requirements 

The Authors...

Pat Sonti, Senior Consultant

Luke Downing, Senior Analyst 

About Us:  NexantECA, the Energy and Chemicals Advisory company is the leading advisor to the energy, refining, and chemical industries. Our clientele ranges from major oil and chemical companies, governments, investors, and financial institutions to regulators, development agencies, and law firms.  Using a combination of business and technical expertise, with deep and broad understanding of markets, technologies, and economics, NexantECA provides solutions that our clients have relied upon for over 50 years.