Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
     Pink hydrogen already has some possible significant backers. These include EDF Energy which has suggested the possible production of pink hydrogen at Sizewell C, a three gigawatt nuclear power station being planned for the U.K. The EDF website says, “At Sizewell C, we are exploring how we can produce and use hydrogen in several ways. Firstly, it could help lower emissions during construction of the power station. Secondly, once Sizewell C is operational, we hope to use some of the heat it generates (alongside electricity) to make hydrogen more efficiently. Hydrogen produced from nuclear power can play a substantial role in the energy transition.” EDF is part of the multinational EDF group.
     EDF admits that there were challenges facing the sector and its development. It said, “Hydrogen is currently a relatively expensive fuel and so the key challenge for low carbon electrolytic hydrogen, whether produced from renewable or nuclear energy, is to bring down the costs of production. This needed supportive policies which encourage investment in early hydrogen production projects and encourage users to switch from fossil fuels to low carbon hydrogen. Growing the market for low carbon hydrogen will deliver the economies of scale and ‘learning by doing’ which will help to reduce the costs of production.”
     There is excitement about the possible role nuclear could play in hydrogen production and the wider energy transition. The IEA says that nuclear power has “significant potential to contribute to power sector decarbonization”. However, it goes without saying that it is not favored by all.
     Critics of pink hydrogen include Greenpeace. The environmental organization says, “Nuclear power is touted as a solution to our energy problems, but in reality it’s complex and hugely expensive to build. It also creates huge amounts of hazardous waste.”
     Rothman has spoken about the bigger picture and the role different types of hydrogen production might play. Could there ever be a time when the level of blue and grey hydrogen drops to zero?
     Rothman said, “It depends how long a timeframe you’re looking at. In an ideal world, they will eventually drop very low. Ultimately, we ideally get rid of all of our grey hydrogen, because grey hydrogen has a large carbon footprint and we need to get rid of it. As we improve carbon capture and storage, there may be a space for blue hydrogen and that’s yet to be evaluated, depending on the … developments there. The pink and green we know there has to be a space for because that’s where you really get the low carbon [hydrogen], and we know it should be, it’s possible to get there.”
     Fiona Rayment is the chief scientist at the U.K. National Nuclear Laboratory. It is a member of the trade association Hydrogen U.K. EDF is also a member. Rayment stressed that it will be important to have a range of options available for hydrogen generation in the years ahead. She added that “The challenge of net zero cannot be underestimated; we will need to embrace all sources of low carbon hydrogen generation to replace our reliance on fossil fuels.”