Increasing Hydrogen Production Using Nuclear Integrated High Temperature Electrolysis for a Coal to Liquids Plant

The possibility of producing synthetic fuels using coal gasification with low carbon emissions is dependent on the availability of hydrogen gas to be mixed with syngas. Finding a new process for producing hydrogen gas to replace steam methane reforming, a CO2 emitting process, centers around the integration of nuclear process heat with chemical processes or electrolysis. High temperature steam electrolysis offers an opportunity for conventional light water reactors to play a role in hydrogen production even with their lower relative temperatures. The coal gasification process offers an alternative feed, high pressure steam from the gasifier, which could also be utilized for electrolysis. The electricity required to power the coal to liquids plant demands too much electricity from the nuclear reactor system, resulting in lower hydrogen production.