United States – The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is handing out a $20 million grant to showcase technology that will generate clean hydrogen energy from nuclear power.
This novel technology will enable clean hydrogen to be used as a source of zero-carbon electricity, as well as an essential commercial product for nuclear power plants other than electricity. The Arizona-based initiative will advance DOE’s H2@Scale vision for clean hydrogen across numerous industries and contribute to the Department’s Hydrogen Shot goal of $1 per kilogram in a decade. This announcement is part of a week-long commemoration of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day, which concludes on October 8.
The project, managed by PNW Hydrogen LLC, will receive a total of $20 million from the DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) and $8 million from the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station near Phoenix, Arizona, will produce clean hydrogen using nuclear power. Six tonnes of stored hydrogen will be utilized to generate roughly 200 MWh of electricity at peak demand, and it may also be used to produce chemicals and other fuels. The study will provide insights into the integration of nuclear energy with hydrogen production technologies, as well as inform future large-scale clean hydrogen production deployments.
The DOE award will go to PNW Hydrogen, which will work with a variety of stakeholders in research, academia, industry, and state government, including Idaho National Laboratory, National Energy Technology Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, OxEon, Electric Power Research Institute, Arizona State University, University of California Irvine, Siemens, Xcel Energy, Energy Harbor, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
