NuScale explores integrated solutions for hydrogen and clean water production

NuScale Power Corporation, a U.S. provider of advanced small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technology, has announced research programs focused on integrated energy systems designed to support hydrogen production and clean water supply.

As disclosed, the research team at NuScale developed a new approach for hydrogen storage, transport, and production that uses leftover brine from the desalination process as industrial feedstock.

The company partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to examine hydrogen production from an inert salt drawn from water desalination byproducts.

It is understood that this hydro-thermal chemical decomposition approach to hydrogen production does not require electrolysis of water. Moreover, it is said to be carbon-free if the energy for the conversion processes comes from the company’s integrated energy systems.

José Reyes, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of NuScale Power, stated: “The near-term predictions of global water scarcity have become increasingly alarming while the interest and financial incentives for producing clean hydrogen continue to grow. What we have found is a win-win-win aimed at addressing water scarcity, brine remediation, and hydrogen production. We believe our breakthrough innovation can meet our global water challenges while providing clean, carbon-free energy.”

NuScale has also developed an integrated energy system simulator for hydrogen production (high-temperature steam electrolysis mode), hydrogen storage, and hydrogen power production (fuel cell mode), which reportedly enables the company to dynamically evaluate and optimize different configurations for a wide range of commercial-scale industrial applications requiring greater than 200 metric tons of hydrogen per day.

Reyes said: “NuScale continues to evaluate a wide range of SMR-powered hydrogen production methods. Our operations team, working with GSE Solutions and Fuel Cell Energy, developed and coupled a Solid Oxide Electrolysis model for hydrogen production and a Fuel Cell model for power production to our Main Control Room Simulator. NuScale is the first SMR company to achieve this goal using integrated energy systems that support hydrogen production.”