EU to proposes nuclear power as one of hydrogen production options

The EU's highest target for green energy policy is to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions in the region by 2050.The European Commission made a key decision in the classification criteria for sustainable economic activity published in early 2022, positioning nuclear energy as a source of hydrogen, electricity and heat to be approved by 2045. There are many ways to produce hydrogen fuel by nuclear energy, but the mainstream is to produce it by electrolysis of seawater like renewable energy. The most attention is the use of a new generation of small high-temperature gas-fired reactors developed by developed countries to produce hydrogen with high-temperature heat. The EU plans to invest 500 billion Euros in the nuclear energy business by 2050. This move has several important implications. One is to affirm that hydrogen fuel is the best option for clean energy. The second is the use of nuclear energy to produce hydrogen, which is easy to expand the production scale, accelerate the cost reduction, and pave the way for the popularization of hydrogen fuel. Thirdly, it is to enhance the EU's power in the world dominance of hydrogen fuel. Fourthly, Based on the lessons of the Ukrainian-Russian war, it is expected reduce the dependence on Russian energy through the development of hydrogen fuel. In terms of specific measures, the Dutch cabinet pointed out in the agreement document at the end of 2021 that the nuclear energy generated by the two new nuclear power units in the future will be complementary to solar and wind power generation, and can be used for hydrogen production. In view of the inability to ensure sufficient renewable energy to produce green hydrogen in Europe, French President Macron in October 2021 expected to develop small nuclear power plants and restart the construction of large reactors to actively produce hydrogen fuel, with a view to 2030 for a leader in green hydrogen.

References
 

• Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, United Kingdom, 2021-08-17, Policy paper: UK hydrogen strategy
• Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Germany, 2020-06-10, The Natural Hydrogen Strategy
• C enter for Strategic and International Studies, 2022-03-28, Jane Nakano, China Unveils its First Long-Term Hydrogen Plan
• 2021-10-12, Macron pushes nuclear, hydrogen power in €30 billion plan to reverse industrial decline
• Nature Gas Intelligence, 2022-03-08, Morgan Evans, Four Rocky Mountain States Proposing Regional Hydrogen Hub
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan, 2019-09-18, Strategy for Developing Hydrogen and Fuel-Cell Technologies Formulated