Potential of hybridisation of the thermochemical hybrid-sulphur cycle for the production of hydrogen by using nuclear and solar energy in the same plant

The search for a sustainable, CO 2 -free massive hydrogen production route is a strong need, if one takes into account the world-wide increasing energy demand, the deterioration of fossil fuel reserves and in particular the increasing CO 2 concentration leading to global warming.Thermo-chemical cycles for water splitting are considered as a promising alternative of emission-free routes of massive hydrogen production -with potentially higher efficiencies and lower costs compared to alkaline electrolysis of water.The hybrid-sulphur cycle was chosen as one of the most promising cycles from the 'sulphur family' of processes.Different process schemes using concentrated sunlight or nuclear generated heat or a combination of both have been elaborated and analysed by a comparative techno-economic study with regard to their potential of a large-scale hydrogen production.Options for a hybridisation of the energy supply between solar and nuclear have been also investigated, particular focused on the coupling of concentrated solar radiation into a round-the-clock operated process.Process design and simulation, industrial scale-up assessments including safety analysis and cost evaluations were performed to analyse reliability and potential of those process concepts.