Nuclear Production of Hydrogen, Fourth Information Exchange ...

FOREWORD
Foreword
The use of hydrogen, both as feedstock for the industry (oil and chemical) and as an energy carrier, is
expected to grow substantially during the coming decades. The current predominant method of
producing hydrogen by steam-reforming methane (from natural gas) is not sustainable and has
environmental drawbacks, including the emission of greenhouse gasses (GHGs). Nuclear energy offers
a way to produce hydrogen from water without depleting natural gas, a valuable natural resource, and
without the emission of GHGs.
The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) has conducted a number of information exchange
meetings with the objective of stimulating progress in the development of nuclear production of
hydrogen. These meetings, held in 2000 in Paris, France, in 2003 in Argonne, Illinois, USA, and in 2005
in Oarai, Japan, were well-attended and very successful. It is hoped that the information presented at
the fourth meeting and contained in these proceedings may be useful in advancing the objective of
achieving economically viable, sustainable and emission-free production of hydrogen.
The need for a sustainable supply of clean energy is one of the main problems facing the world.
Among the various energy technologies which may be considered (including hydro, wind, solar,
geo-thermal, wave and tidal), only nuclear – through the use of fast-neutron fission reactors – is capable
of delivering the copious quantities of sustainable energy that will be required. In view of this, one of
the means under consideration for achieving the objective of nuclear-produced hydrogen is enhanced
international co-operation, including the establishment of one or more OECD/NEA joint projects. In this
respect, it is worth noting that similar joint projects undertaken in the past (for example, the Dragon
Project and the Halden Reactor Project) have been highly beneficial and have provided significant
amounts of useful information to the sponsoring countries at shared costs.
In conclusion, the organising committee wishes to express its most sincere appreciation to all
those who contributed to the successful conclusion of this Fourth NEA Information Exchange Meeting
on the Nuclear Production of Hydrogen. A special word of thanks goes to the authors, the members of
the Technical Programme Committee, the members of the International Advisory Committee, the
session chairmen and the panellists.
NUCLEAR PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN – © OECD/NEA 2010 3