Feasibility Study of Using Nuclear Energy to Produce Hydrogen Fuel in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has developed a plan to reach carbon neutrality following The Paris Agreement and hydrogen fuel is an essential part of that plan. It has also established its Saudi National Atomic Energy Project (SNAEP) and is looking towards adding nuclear power to the energy mix. This paper begins by exploring the energy landscape in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, it elaborates on different methods to produce hydrogen, and specifically how nuclear energy can be utilized to produce hydrogen. The feasibility study provides an economic assessment that compares the operation cost of producing hydrogen using different technologies and energy sources. It was concluded that using nuclear energy in producing hydrogen gives the lowest levelized cost of hydrogen compared to other clean sources. Furthermore, it was found that implementing a high temperature electrolysis process that uses electricity from a nuclear power plant along with heat can lead to higher economic and technical efficiencies compared to other electrolysis processes because it uses 26% less electricity. With the construction of a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia, the country has the chance to build a hydrogen production infrastructure with advanced technologies that might greatly aid in optimizing its position as a worldwide energy leader.