Japan plans world’s first hydrogen production facility using nuclear power

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) plans to request the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) to review its proposal for building a hydrogen production facility as early as February, as reported by The Japan News.

The facility, intended to produce hydrogen using heat from a gas reactor, will be located next to the High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) in Oarai, Ibaraki Prefecture, and will operate integrally with the reactor. If successful, it will be the world’s first facility of its kind.

Gas reactors, which are considered the next generation of nuclear reactors, are being developed by countries including Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and China. Unlike conventional nuclear reactors that use water for cooling, gas reactors use helium gas, enabling them to generate heat at temperatures above 800°C. This heat can be used to produce hydrogen, a key material for decarbonization, in addition to generating electricity.

While hydrogen can be produced through various methods, those involving fossil fuels emit significant CO2, contributing to global warming. Solar power-based hydrogen production is affected by weather conditions. Gas reactors, however, can consistently supply both electricity and hydrogen as they operate without interruption.

The hydrogen production facility will be connected to the HTTR by piping, circulating high-temperature helium gas. This heat will facilitate a reaction between water and methane to produce hydrogen in large quantities. Hydrogen is in high demand for applications such as fuel cell vehicles, steelmaking, and the chemical industry.

The JAEA plans to obtain approval from the NRA in fiscal 2025, begin construction in fiscal 2026, and begin operations in fiscal 2028. The review process will be conducted by the NRA, focusing on safety concerns due to potential risks to the nuclear reactor if issues arise in the hydrogen facility.

Nariaki Sakaba, head of the high-temperature gas reactor project at JAEA, expressed hopes of successfully producing hydrogen by 2030 and developing the technology to be world-leading. The agency also plans to develop a demonstration reactor as a step toward commercialization, with operations expected to begin in the late 2030s.