Current State and Prospects of Hydrogen Production at NPPs

According to the strategy of Rosenergoatom State Corporation, hydrogen energy is included in the list of priority areas for the development of nuclear energy in Russia. To ensure the base load of nuclear power plants (NPP), the technology of hydrogen production by the method of electrolysis of water at hydrogen complexes in combination with NPP power units becomes relevant. Traditionally, it was assumed to use pumped storage power plants (PSPP) for this purpose. However, their construction is limited by natural conditions and it is impossible near the NPP, which implies their charging from the power system at a rate three to four times higher than the cost of electricity produced at the NPP. A specific feature of the hydrogen complex is the possibility of its underground location at a small distance from the NPP using the electricity generated at the NPP for charging at cost. The advantage of underground placement is to reduce by one to two orders of magnitude the total risk from explosions and fires of a mixture of hydrogen with an oxidizer in the event of an accident. A block diagram of the use of hydrogen and oxygen when combining a hydrogen complex with a nuclear power plant is presented. The scale of consumption of hydrogen and its purity by industry for the period up to 2100 are given. The world prospects for the development of water electrolysis technology and the possibilities of hydrogen production in Russia are analyzed. Comparison of the efficiency of hydrogen production by water electrolysis and steam reforming of natural gas is carried out. Forecasted prices for nuclear fuel and natural gas are accepted for the future until 2035. In the production of hydrogen on the basis of “disrupted” night off-peak electricity, it is possible to operate a nuclear power plant without unloading power units, which ensures a reduction in the cost of hydrogen production and its competitiveness by the method of steam reforming of natural gas.