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US company Terrestial Energy USA, has entered into a partnership with the energy company Southern Company and several other governmental laboratories under the Ministry of Energy. The goal of the partnership is to develop a more efficient and cleaner hydrogen production process using molten salt reactors (ISMR).
The two-year R & D project is designed to investigate the efficiency, design and economics of using ISMR reactors for carbonless hydrogen production in industrial quantities through a hybrid sulfate process. It is based on chemical reactions of sulfuric acid, iodine and water, which require a constant supply of thermal energy. This carbonless method of producing hydrogen from water can be more effective than high temperature steam electrolysis.
The project aims to demonstrate the commercial viability of linking a hybrid sulphate process with a nuclear power plant with an ISMR reactor for large-scale hydrogen production without GHG emissions. The project builds on 20-year research at the Savannah River National Laboratory, which, along with the Sandia and Idaho National Laboratories, will continue to conduct research into this technology.
Hydrogen as fuel
In addition to its current use in ammonia production, refining of crude oil, chemical production and other industrial applications, the use of hydrogen as a storable energy carrier is still expected to grow significantly in the future. For example, hydrogen is to be used in transport, for example, or as a method of accumulating electrical energy to mask instability in the transmission system caused by intermittent sources. The hydrogen market is expected to reach $ 200 billion by 2020.
"By joining forces with an energy giant such as Southern Company, we are able to bring this revolutionary technology to the industrial markets. Using the ISMR reactor to make hydrogen more efficient and economical is just one of many industrial uses of the ISMR reactor outside power generation. Removing carbon from the hydrogen production process helps us to move deep decarbonisation to your fingertips. It shows us the way to produce carbon-neutral fuels for transport and non-emissive fertilizers. "
Simon Irish, Executive Director of Terrestrial Energy USA
"This is a potentially large impact project that combines the advantages of reactors with liquid salts with the development of advanced water decomposition processes for hydrogen production. The Southern Company, with its history of innovation, looks forward to working with Terrestrial Energy USA to jointly explore this technology. "
Noah Meeks, Research Engineer and Project Manager at Southern Company
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