Hydrogen

Westinghouse, Bloom Energy partner to push hydrogen produced from nuclear

Westinghouse and Bloom Energy announced an agreement to implement large-scale hydrogen production projects in the nuclear industry.

ABOVE: See our one-on-one with Bloom Energy V.P. of Hydrogen Rick Beuttel about the company’s new partnership with Westinghouse.

Westinghouse and Bloom Energy announced an agreement to implement large-scale hydrogen production projects in the nuclear industry.

The partners plan to develop a high temperature integrated electrolysis solution for the nuclear industry.

“With the ability to operate 24/7 and provide high-quality steam input, nuclear plants are well-positioned to utilize electrolyzer technology and produce substantial quantities of clean hydrogen with minimal disruption to current, ongoing operations,” the companies said in a joint release.

As global demand for hydrogen is projected to increase tenfold or more by 2050, there is a need to produce it in larger quantities from low- and zero-carbon sources.

MORE: Report highlights challenges for clean hydrogen future

Bloom Energy’s electrolyzer technology (Source: Bloom Energy).

The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law by President Biden in November 2021 includes several hydrogen-specific provisions that will drive large-scale deployment and investment in the hydrogen industry. The bill includes a package of hydrogen-specific policies, including the creation of large-scale regional clean hydrogen hubs across the country.

From that package, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) authorized $8 billion for at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs—at least one producing clean hydrogen from fossil fuels, one from nuclear, and one from renewables.

Advocates have said hydrogen produced from nuclear could help build an economic case to keep the nation’s at-risk reactors up and running.

According to the DOE, a single 1,000 MW nuclear reactor could produce more than 150,000 metric tons of hydrogen each year. Ten nuclear reactors could provide about 1.5 million metric tons annually or 15% of current hydrogen produced in the United States, the DOE said.

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