HYDROGEN PRODUCTION VIA NUCLEAR-RENEWABLE HYBRID ENERGY SYSTEM: A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR DECARBONIZATION IN ASEAN REGION

As the world adopts the technological era, the adverse effects of climate change have been experienced by the increasing population, which has led to a rise in energy demand. Heavy industries depend on dirty fossil fuels that release GHG emissions into the atmosphere. This paper aims to review the integration of a nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system (NRHES) to produce green hydrogen in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries in the ASEAN region. In this study, the two main hydrogen production methods were identified, including thermochemical and electrolytic processes. The available renewable energy sources in ASEAN countries, such as solar, hydropower, biomass, geothermal, and wind, were also determined to evaluate the possible routes for coupling with nuclear power. Thus, considering the zero-emissions and baseload electricity from nuclear energy, integrating this with renewables in the region can accommodate their intermittent characteristics and supply the minimum electricity demand. This article suggests that as the region is rich in agriculture, nuclear-biomass is the most viable combination of energy sources to overcome different global issues. Furthermore, the prospects of hydrogen and its potential for industrial applications- mainly in transportation, manufacturing, chemical plants, and refineries-were presented in this analysis. This review determined the economic, technical, and societal impacts and policy frameworks of implementing NRHES for green hydrogen production to examine the possible challenges faced by Southeast Asia. Therefore, these challenges and gaps enable further exploration of the integration of NRHES to produce hydrogen as an alternative energy source.