Nuclear and clean hydrogen are among the big energy movers in the race to help reduce the world’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Now, a new report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has identified a combination of the two as a potential game-changer in progressing the development of “green” steel.

Leading global iron ore producer Rio Tinto has described green steel as the “holy grail” of the iron ore industry’s commitment to decarbonise.

The IAEA also says using low carbon nuclear power to produce hydrogen could have an impact on the industry’s decarbonisation aims.

Steel production accounts for more than 7% of global CO2 emissions.

That percentage is set to soar in the coming decades along with a rising demand for steel, which is vital for sectors ranging from energy and transport to construction and consumer appliances.

Nuclear energy could help put steel production on a path to net zero.

New cleaner methodology

About two billion tonnes of steel are currently produced annually around the world and steel demand is projected to rise by more than a third by 2050.

The steel industry largely depends on coking coal to power blast furnaces, which turn iron ore into steel, a process that emits large quantities of CO2.

However, it is possible to create steel using a method called direct reduction of iron, in which hydrogen reacts with iron ore without melting and emits water vapour and no CO2.

“The amount of hydrogen needed to create green steel is staggering,” said Francesco Ganda, technical lead for non‑electric applications at the IAEA.

“Traditionally, fossil fuels have been used to generate almost all hydrogen, therefore finding the necessary amount of decarbonised hydrogen is going to be one of the biggest challenges.”

“Nuclear hydrogen production, with zero emissions, can really be a game-changer for the sector as nuclear power has the potential to provide sufficient heat and electricity 24/7 to produce the required amount of hydrogen.”

“This could help to make huge strides in the clean energy transition.”

Key contribution

“Several countries around the world are exploring and testing the use of nuclear energy to produce clean hydrogen, including for use in the production of steel,” said Aline des Cloizeaux, director of the IAEA’s division of nuclear power.

“With the advent of new and more efficient electrolyser technology and with the deployment of advanced reactor technologies such as high-temperature reactors on the horizon, nuclear energy is well-placed to provide a key contribution to clean hydrogen production and the decarbonisation of steel production and other industries.”

Hydrogen is an environmentally-friendly energy carrier that, unlike electricity, can be stored in large quantities.

It can be converted into electricity in fuel cells, with only heat and water as by-products

Clean hydrogen

The US government says hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in the nation’s transition to 100% clean energy.

However, it also noted that the majority of the hydrogen produced there comes from natural gas—resulting in carbon emissions.

That’s why the US Department of Energy (DOE) is investing billions to help lower the cost and scale up the production of clean hydrogen by leveraging the nation’s existing energy assets including nuclear power plants.

Most of the hydrogen produced in the US is made through steam-methane reforming.

In this process, methane reacts with high-temperature steam to produce carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

One way to produce hydrogen without emissions is through low- and high-temperature electrolysis by splitting water into pure hydrogen and oxygen.

High-temperature electrolysers use both heat and electricity to split water and are more efficient.

Nuclear potential

The DOE has identified that traditional and advanced nuclear reactors are well-suited to provide this constant heat and electricity needed to produce clean hydrogen, which could open new markets for nuclear power plants.

It estimates that a single 1,000-megawatt reactor could produce up to 150,000t of hydrogen each year.

This could be sold regionally as a commodity for fertilizers, oil refining, steel production, material handling equipment, fuel cell vehicles or even carbon-neutral synthetic fuels.

Two offices within the DOE are teaming up with utilities to support three hydrogen demonstration projects at nuclear power plants.

Hydrogen production is expected to begin in early 2024.