8. Comparative Assessment of Nuclear Based Hybrid Sulfur Cycle and High Temperature Steam Electrolysis Systems Using HEEP

Hydrogen is one of the most promising alternatives as a replacement for the fossil fuels, since it can be produced by several methods using numerous sources. Sustainable production of hydrogen is highly dependent on the energy source utilized. Nuclear and renewable energy resources are considered as the best candidates for sustainable hydrogen production. Although there are numerous methods possible for hydrogen production, cost and economic factors play a crucial role in the feasibility and applicability of such plants. In this study, cost assessment of nuclear hydrogen production methods can be comparatively evaluated using Hydrogen Economy Evaluation Programme (HEEP) provided by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). HEEP software is a user friendly cost estimation package, including various nuclear reactor options, as well as hydrogen generation, storage and transportation facilities. Rather than the existing data, HEEP offers user defined options from energy source to end user. Futhermore, hybrid sulfur (HyS) thermochemical cycle and high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) hydrogen generation systems are compared using high temperature reactors by considering storage and transportation options. The results show that the cost of hydrogen from HyS is 20 % lower than that of HTSE. HTSE requires more power consumption than HyS cycle, which has the highest impact of plant and production costs.