Green hydrogen production by using nuclear energy for hydrogen steelmaking

Ogawa, Masuro; Kasahara, Seiji  ; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Noguchi, Hiroki  

Green hydrogen production by using nuclear energy for hydrogen steelmaking is one of the candidates of CO emission reduction. Very high temperature reactor (VHTR) is the most appropriate reactor type among generation IV nuclear reactors. In Japan, a large-scale national R&D project for nuclear steelmaking had been carried out during 1973-1980. The process was: reforming of bottom residue of oil distillation using nuclear heat to produce reducing gas: direct reduction of ore to produce iron by the reforming gas. R&D of 6 themes had been conducted: total systems, high temperature heat exchangers, very high temperature resistant alloy, high temperature thermal insulation materials, reforming gas generators, and shaft furnaces to produce direct reduced iron. A new type nuclear steelmaking is proposed now by the requirement of technology and a new problem of CO reduction. The largest change is the shift of reducing gas to hydrogen. R&D of VHTR continues since the national project and thermochemical water splitting IS (iodine-sulfur) process has been studied for hydrogen production in Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Conceptual design of a hydrogen steelmaking process applying VHTR-IS process and direct reduction steelmaking with hydrogen had been carried out in Green Energy Steelmaking Research Group in Iron and Steel Institute of Japan during 2008-2012.