Nuclear power seeks to tap into hydrogen-fuel

Bloomberg

The nuclear industry should tap into rising investor interest in hydrogen-fuel to revive the flagging prospects of reactor operators in an increasingly crowded marketplace for clean power.
That was the message delivered by executives and scientists who convened at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Higher demand for hydrogen from industry and heavy transport could make production of the fuel by operating reactors more economical, potentially breathing new life into a technology that’s been overtaken by wind and solar power.
“If nuclear can be leveraged to generate alternative revenue streams, its costs can be offset,” said Gloria Kwong, the Nuclear Energy Agency’s head of technology, at the IAEA’s annual general conference in Vienna.
Executives from the Korean Atomic Energy Institute and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories similarly recommended a pivot toward hydrogen to buoy the industry’s prospects.
Nuclear has been left largely behind by booming demand for clean energy over the past decade. In most economies, more reactors are being permanently shut down than built.
Ballooning costs and long construction delays have prompted investors to shy away from the technology despite its emissions-free credentials.