Development status on hydrogen production technology using high-temperature gas-cooled reactor at JAEA, Japan

The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), which is graphite-moderated and helium-cooled, is attractive due to its unique capability of producing high temperature helium gas and its fully inherent reactor safety. In particular, hydrogen production using the nuclear heat from HTGR (up to 900 deg. C) offers one of the most promising technological solutions to curb the rising level of CO2 emission and resulting risk of climate change. The interests in HTGR as an advanced nuclear power source for the next generation reactor, therefore, continue to rise. This is represented by the Japanese HTTR (High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor) Project and the Chinese HTR-10 Project, followed by the international Generation IV development program, US nuclear hydrogen initiative program, EU innovative HTR technology development program, etc. To enhance nuclear energy application to heat process industries, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has continued extensive efforts for development of hydrogen production system using the nuclear heat from HTGR in the framework of the HTTR Project. The HTTR Project has the objectives of establishing both HTGR technology and heat utilization technology. Using the HTTR constructed at the Oarai Research and Development Center of JAEA, reactor performance and safety demonstration tests have been conducted as planned. The reactor outlet temperature of 950 deg. C was successfully achieved in April 2004. For hydrogen production as heat utilization technology, R and D on thermo-chemical water splitting by the 'Iodine-Sulfur process' (IS process) has been conducted step by step. Proof of the basic IS process was made in 1997 on a lab-scale of hydrogen production of 1 L/h. In 2004, one-week continuous operation of the IS process was successfully demonstrated using a bench-scale apparatus with hydrogen production rate of 31 L/h. Further test using a pilot scale facility with greater hydrogen production rate of 10 - 30 m3/h is planned as the next milestone. Based on the pilot scale test results, in the future, JAEA plans to couple the IS Process to the HTTR in order to demonstrate feasibility of the hydrogen production using nuclear heat from HTGR, making it possible to deploy a commercial HTGR plant for hydrogen production in around 2020. In the lecture, the necessity of the new energy source of hydrogen and its production using HTGR is briefly explained, and the overview of the HTTR project is given with emphasis on the hydrogen production system development, followed by proposal of possible international cooperation in this field. (authors)