New reactors 'could produce hydrogen and decarbonise industry' in UK

Energy World; 03/11/2020
A new generation of nuclear reactors could help the UK cut carbon emissions by harnessing surplus energy to heat homes, produce hydrogen and decarbonise industry, according to a report by the Royal Society.

The Nuclear cogeneration: civil nuclear energy in a low-carbon future policy briefing sets out how planned and future nuclear projects could complement renewables and help the UK meet its net zero carbon emissions by 2050 pledge.

Cogeneration could give nuclear power the flexibility to function in an energy system where a growing proportion of electricity comes from intermittent renewables, says the briefing. When domestic energy demand is being met by wind, solar, or other sources, cogeneration could allow a nuclear plant to switch from electricity generation to cogeneration applications such as the production of hydrogen.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are of particular interest. These are reactors producing 300 MW of energy or less, which can be built in factories and deployed in stages. This should mean lower investment costs and economies of scale in construction, says the briefing. It also gives greater flexibility in locating stations, and allows them to be tailored to the energy needs of regional or industrial clusters.

The next generation of SMRs – known as Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) – are expected to generate temperatures in excess of 600°C – similar to the temperatures required by some of the hardest to decarbonise processes, such as chemical production. The report suggests they could also be used in the steel making process to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

This new use of nuclear generation will have to be a staged process, said Professor Robin Grimes, the report’s lead author and a professor of materials physics at Imperial College: ‘we could demonstrate the feasibility of a high temperature AMR reactor by 2035, while SMRs could be on the grid by 2028.’

News Item details

Journal title: Energy World

Countries: UK -

Organisation: Royal Society

Subjects: Hydrogen, Small modular reactor, Nuclear