Could Pink hydrogen be a new way of manufacturing hydrogen with zero emissions?
Pink hydrogen is generated through electrolysis powered by nuclear energy. Nuclear-produced hydrogen can also be referred to as purple hydrogen or red hydrogen. Hydrogen can be manufactured in numerous ways. The most referenced process is electrolysis, which uses electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Electrolysis is the process used to manufacture green hydrogen, where electrolyzers are supplied by companies and electricity is supplied by a wind or solar farm. The chemical reactions needed to manufacture hydrogen require significant amounts of energy. Whereas methods to produce green hydrogen must rely primarily on energy in the form of electricity ("cold electrolysis"), nuclear power plants can leverage waste energy from the heat they produce. The very high temperatures from nuclear reactors could be used in other hydrogen productions by producing steam for more efficient electrolysis or fossil gas-based steam methane reforming. Nuclear power plants could use off-peak electricity to manufacture hydrogen more efficiently and in greater volumes than renewable energy, then sell the supply to existing industrial customers for an additional revenue stream. A single 1,000-megawatt reactor could produce nearly 500 metric tons of hydrogen per day using effectively waste heat.
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