Topsoe, Rolls-Royce, ULC Energy team up to explore nuclear hydrogen production - H2 View

Topsoe, Rolls-Royce, ULC Energy team up to explore nuclear hydrogen production | Power | H2 View

Dutch nuclear development and consulting firm ULC-Energy has partnered with Topsoe and Rolls-Royce SMR to explore hydrogen production utilising small modular reactors (SMRs).

The trio will explore utilising Topsoe’s solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) technology to produce hydrogen using both electricity and heat produced by a Rolls-Royce SMR nuclear power plant do deliver low-cost, carbon-free hydrogen.

Due to SOE taking place at a higher temperature, less electricity is needed, while nuclear power plants operate with base-load power, which is hoped to produce hydrogen at lower cost compared to renewable powered electrolysis.

Speaking to H2 View earlier this year (2023), Elina Teplinsky, Partner and Nuclear Energy and Hydrogen Expert at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw and Pittman, said “[Nuclear] is not dependent on the weather, so it can work 24/7. Nuclear capacity factors around the world are over 90%, and that is better than anything else, including fossil fuels.”

Read more: At the forefront: The renewed role of nuclear power

Under a joint investigation, the three companies will look into valuating the operational flexibility of Rolls-Royce’s SMR technology and Topsoe’s SOE in the future green energy market.

“We expect nuclear energy, especially in combination with high temperature electrolysis, to be able to produce zero-emission hydrogen competitively on a stand-alone basis,” said ULC-Energy CEO, Dirk Rabelink. “Additional value associated with the operational flexibility will further enhance the business case for this solution.”

“SOEC is a modular design that leverages high-temperature electrolysis that enables industrial-scale production of clean hydrogen using clean energy,” said Jack Carstensen, Topsoe Business Development Director, who added the company’s electrolysis technology was more efficient than alkaline or PEM alternatives.

“When coupled with a heat-producing technology such as nuclear, SOEC allows for the lowest levelised hydrogen cost with the highest level of energy efficiency,” he said.

“This agreement with ULC-Energy and Topsoe is an exciting step toward unleashing the potential of the Rolls-Royce SMR as its ability to flexibly provide thermal and electrical energy supports a wide range of industrial applications, chief amongst these being the large-scale generation of low-cost hydrogen,” said Harry Keeling, Head of Industrial Markets at Rolls-Royce SMR.

The potential of nuclear power’s use for electrolysis has been explored more widely in recent years. Last August (2022), Bloom Energy said its SOE technology produced hydrogen at ‘record-setting efficiencies’ during tests with Idaho National Lab where steam and load simulations replicated nuclear power station conditions.

Read more: ‘Record-setting’ electrolyser efficiencies for hydrogen production in nuclear facility testing