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New TECH Report - Key Pathways for Red, Purple, and Pink Hydrogen - 2024
Key Pathways for Red, Purple, and Pink Hydrogen is one in a series of reports published as part of NexantECA’s 2024Technoeconomics – Energy & Chemicals (TECH) program
Overview
Red, purple, and pink hydrogen production offers key technically feasible pathways that could become economically viable for achieving global and regional decarbonization of supply and value chains with zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As part of an optimal energy mix, these methods can effectively serve as energy carriers for fuels, feedstocks, and downstream chemical production. Nuclear energy further enhances the reliability, resilience, and availability of a stable electricity and hydrogen supply for wholesale and retail customers. Advanced technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs) and established processes through electrolysis and thermolysis are paving the way forward. With the momentum of new hydrogen initiatives and industry decarbonization, demonstration projects are underway, showing promise as potential components of a sustainable chemicals and fuels industry, though they differ significantly from other options in cost structure, scalability, and technical risk. This report addresses the following major issues:
- What are the major pathways and routes for red, purple, and pink hydrogen production?
- What is the status of demonstration projects?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of nuclear reactor technologies from the perspective of a new entrant or project developer?
- What is the potential for red, purple, and pink hydrogen installations to take advantage of regional and national zero-carbon hydrogen incentives?
Commercial Technologies
This report explores a range of light water reactor technologies, including pressurized water reactors, boiling water reactors, as well as high-temperature gas reactors and fast neutron reactors, among others. It provides an in-depth technical review of industry best practices, mandatory regulations, design, safety, and operational codes and standards. Additionally, it addresses protocols for in-service inspection, trip and shutdown procedures, and maturity assessments for key nuclear reactor technologies. Specific end-use applications in the chemicals and fuels production sectors requiring high-temperature process steam and electricity are also highlighted.
Process Economics
The report presents a detailed cost-of-production estimate and levelized cost ranges for hydrogen across each viable pathway, as illustrated in the accompanying figure.
Pathways for Red, Purple, Pink Hydrogen Production
Detailed cost analysis is provided for red and pink hydrogen, including the challenges of accurately assessing costs for emerging technologies like purple hydrogen production. In addition, estimates for total overnight project costs along with review of scenarios related to regulations, cost overruns, schedule delays, etc.
Commercial Overview
This report provides comprehensive insights into demonstration projects in North America and Europe that integrate nuclear energy with both low- and high-temperature electrolysis, highlighting projected timelines for scaling these initiatives. It also offers an overview of fiscal policies and financial programs in North America, Europe, and Asia designed to support nuclear energy deployment for hydrogen production and to power AI and data centers. Additionally, the report emphasizes the role of nuclear-based hydrogen in advancing decarbonization goals and examines key challenges, opportunities, drivers, and constraints affecting the expanded deployment and market penetration of nuclear energy.
Contact a member to our Insights & Analytics team to find out more about this report
About Us - NexantECA, the Energy and Chemicals Advisory company is the leading advisor to the energy, refining, and chemical industries. Our clientele ranges from major oil and chemical companies, governments, investors, and financial institutions to regulators, development agencies, and law firms. Using a combination of business and technical expertise, with deep and broad understanding of markets, technologies and economics, NexantECA provides solutions that our clients have relied upon for over 50 years.
