Abstract
A high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) is one of the next generation nuclear systems. The HTGR hydrogen cogeneration system can produce not only electricity but also hydrogen. Then it has a potential to supply massive low-cost hydrogen without greenhouse gas emission for the future hydrogen society. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been carried out the design study of the HTGR hydrogen cogeneration system (GTHTR300C). The thermal power of the reactor is 600MW. The hydrogen production plant utilizes 370MW and can supply 52,000m^3/h (0.4Bm^3/y) of hydrogen. Present industrial hydrogen production capacity in Japan is about 18Bm^3/y and it will decrease by 15 Bm^3/y in 2030 due to the aging facilities. On the other hand, the hydrogen demand for fuel cell vehicle (FCV) in 2030 is estimated at 15Bm^3/y at a maximum. Since the hydrogen supply may be short after 2030, the additional hydrogen should be produced by clean hydrogen process to reduce greenhouse gas emission. This hydrogen shortage is a potential market for the GTHTR300C. The hydrogen production cost of GTHTR300C is estimated at 20.5 JPY/Nm^3 which has an economic competitiveness against other industrial hydrogen production processes. 38 units of the GTHTR300C can supply a half of this shortage which accounts for the 33% of hydrogen demand for FCV in 2100. According to the increase of hydrogen demand, the GTHTR300C should be constructed after 2030.
