Cranberry Township-based Westinghouse Electric Co. and California-based Bloom Energy Corp. recently agreed to identify and implement clean hydrogen projects across the nuclear industry.
The companies will develop a large-scale high temperature integrated electrolysis solution for the nuclear industry.
Nuclear plants operate around the clock and provide high-quality steam input. They can use electrolyzer technology to produce substantial quantities of clean hydrogen with minimal disruption to operations.
By 2050, the global demand for hydrogen and its emerging applications is forecasted to multiply by 10 or more and surpass the current infrastructure for producing and delivering hydrogen.
Any hydrogen produced in nuclear plants could be used by various industries, including ammonia synthesis, mobility, oil and metals refining, mining operations, and renewable fuels production.
“We are proud Westinghouse has turned to Bloom and our solid oxide technology to supercharge the clean hydrogen economy,” Rick Beuttel, Bloom Energy hydrogen business vice president, said. “Solid oxide technology is well suited for nuclear applications, efficiently harnessing steam to further improve the economics of hydrogen production. High temperature electrolysis is already garnering attention and accolades as a cost-effective and viable solution to create low-cost, clean hydrogen, which is critical to meeting aggressive decarbonization goals.”