Canada has granted CAD $4.9m ($3.6m) to finance the development of two nuclear-powered hydrogen-based e-fuel projects.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) awarded the funding to Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Expander Energy, Nuclear Promise X, St. Marys Cement and FuelCell Energy (FCE) who are looking to produce e-fuels for use in Canada’s transport sector.
Planning to produce low-carbon synthetic diesel and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) using hydrogen produced from FCE’s solid oxide electrolysers (SOEC) powered by nuclear power, the projects will look to use direct air capture (DAC) and industrial carbon capture for the supply of carbon dioxide (CO2).
The main development will be focused on studying the production of synthesis gas directly from the electrolysis of water and CO2, using a 5kW FCE electrolyser at a St. Marys Cement facility, using CO2 from the plant’s flue gas stream.
Upon successful completion of the pilot project, the partners will develop a conceptual design for a large-scale facility that converts synthesis gas into e-fuels.
Jason Few, President and CEO of FuelCell Energy, said the use of nuclear power for the project will allow the firm’s SOEC technology to achieve “100% electrical efficiency.”
“The uniqueness of our electrolysis platform to bring in cold water and produce dry hydrogen at over 90% efficiency and, with the addition of external heat, increase efficiency to 100% is unmatched and will enhance the economics of synthetic fuel production,” he said.
A separate project will explore producing 30 million litres of synthetic diesel annually using biomass through high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE).
Canadian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, said, “Through advancing research and investing in clean fuel production, the work being led by the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and its partners is helping to build momentum towards Canada’s clean energy future while enhancing the competitiveness of Canadian clean fuels on the global stage and in turn, seizing the associated economic opportunities.”
At the forefront: The renewed role of nuclear power
84 years on from the discovery of nuclear fission – splitting atoms to release energy – the nuclear industry in 2022 seemingly entered a new realm of energy production. December saw a group of US scientists perform a breakthrough in nuclear fusion – combining atoms to release energy – where hydrogen played a central role.
The experiment at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California, US, saw a series of increasingly powerful laser systems create temperatures and pressures such as those in the core of stars to kickstart a fusion reaction, which forced hydrogen atoms together and released energy.
Despite only delivering 3.15MJ of energy output, it is hoped the experiment could pave the way for nuclear fusion to become a key part of our energy system. Elina Teplinsky, Partner and Nuclear Energy and Hydrogen Expert at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, as well as the co-leader in the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI) told H2 View that the development came as a turning point in demonstrating the commercial viability of fusion.
Teplinsky added that although fusion is not yet commercially available today, it could play a role in future hydrogen production, saying, “Nuclear fusion could also be paired with hydrogen production in the future. We have had fusion companies participating in NHI meetings, and that’s an area that will be really interesting to explore as fusion moves closer to commercial scale demonstrations.”
Despite nuclear fusion looking set to remain an ‘energy of tomorrow’ for several more years, the breakthrough has brought nuclear energy back into the spotlight of our energy conversation. In a world where we need to move away from carbon-intensive fuels, it begs the question of whether nuclear energy could play a key, renewed role…
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