CANDU with hydrogen

Abstract

How Canada's successful CANDU ( CANada Deuterium Uranium) nuclear power reactors would benefit from an emerging hydrogen-electric economy and vice versa is discussed with reference to the Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange (CECE) process for recovering byproduct heavy water from electrolytic hydrogen. At the heart of this process is a hydrophobic, dispersed-platinum catalyst which has been under development at Chalk River for about a decade. Other potential applications of the CECE process are presented, including tritium recovery from both light and heavy water. Based on preliminary data and cost estimates, the net heavy water dollar credit appears to be at least comparable to the byproduct oxygen credit of electrolytic hydrogen. The potential for byproduct heavy water production from hydrogen in general, and from electrolytic hydrogen in particular, is discussed in relation to Canada's present primary heavy water production capacity.