The site at Constellation’s Nine Mile Point Nuclear Plant in Oswego, New York, received approval last year from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for the installation of an electrolyser system along with a $5.8m award.
The clean hydrogen generation system will use 1.25MW of zero-carbon energy per hour, therefore producing 560kg of clean hydrogen per day.
The hydrogen generation system’s Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyser was manufactured by Nel hydrogen and utilises clean, emission-free electricity generated at Nile Mile Point Nuclear Station.
Read more: Nel to expand PEM electrolyser production at Connecticut, US facility
Joe Dominguez, Constellation President and CEO, said, “Nine Mile Point is going to show the world that nuclear power is the most efficient and cost-effective way to make it (hydrogen) from a carbon-free resource.
“In partnership with DOE and others, we see this technology creating a pathway to decarbonising industries that remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels, while creating clean-energy jobs and strengthening domestic energy security.”
The plant is expected to help set the stage for possible large-scale deployments at other clean energy centres in Constellation’s fleet that would couple clean hydrogen production with storage and other on site uses.
Last year, the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI) was launched, which seeks to promote a landscape that will encourage the use nuclear power generation to produce clean hydrogen.
Read more: Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative: Nuclear hydrogen a key way to meet decarbonisation needs
Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, DOE, said, “DOE is proud to support cost-shared projects like this to deliver affordable clean hydrogen. The investments we’re starting to make now through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act will even further expand the hydrogen market to create new economic and environmental benefits for nuclear energy.”
Read more: Win for hydrogen in the US – Inflation Reduction Act to become law
Constellation is currently working with public and private entities representing every phase in the hydrogen value chain to pursue the development of regional hydrogen production and distribution hubs. The company is committed to investing $900m for commercial clean hydrogen production using nuclear energy.
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