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Title: Dependable Hydrogen and Industrial Heat Generation from the Next Generation Nuclear Plant

Conference ·
OSTI ID:957521

The Department of Energy is working with industry to develop a next generation, high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor (HTGR) as a part of the effort to supply the US with abundant, clean and secure energy. The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project, led by the Idaho National Laboratory, will demonstrate the ability of the HTGR to generate hydrogen, electricity, and high-quality process heat for a wide range of industrial applications. Substituting HTGR power for traditional fossil fuel resources reduces the cost and supply vulnerability of natural gas and oil, and reduces or eliminates greenhouse gas emissions. As authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, industry leaders are developing designs for the construction of a commercial prototype producing up to 600 MWt of power by 2021. This paper describes a variety of critical applications that are appropriate for the HTGR with an emphasis placed on applications requiring a clean and reliable source of hydrogen. An overview of the NGNP project status and its significant technology development efforts are also presented.

Research Organization:
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE - NE
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC07-99ID-13727
OSTI ID:
957521
Report Number(s):
INL/CON-09-15576; TRN: US1000619
Resource Relation:
Conference: National Hydrogen Association Conference and Hydrogen Expo 2009 (NHA '09),Columbia, SC,03/30/2009,04/03/2009
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English