Japan tests red hydrogen at 900 ºC and opens a new chapter in nuclear energy

Japan is universally known for its unique and innovative approach to solving complex issues that face the world. And what they have created can be seen as a milestone for human achievements. The tiny nation of Japan has created a new type of hydrogen that is red and is scaldingly hot at 900 ºC. The new type of hydrogen is known as “red hydrogen” and is produced by nuclear reactors. Japan suffered a horrific tragedy when the reactor in Fukushima exploded, and several countries since then have decommissioned a large number of their reactors. But Japan stuck with it and now has produced a concept that could change the world.

Red hydrogen is unlike anything the world has ever seen

What exactly is red hydrogen, you ask? Well, red hydrogen is produced by nuclear reactors that are cooled by gases, in this case, helium. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and several countries around the world have discovered massive deposits of hydrogen in the seas as well as right beneath our feet in iron-rich rock formations.

The world was on the brink of a crisis, which led to several countries and companies making significant investments in alternative fuel sources. While some have proved to be viable, nothing has been able to match the power delivered to us by the fossil fuels that we have relied on for generations. And the need for more power has only increased since the world embraced the EV. Every night, all over the world, EV owners are plugging in their cars to charge overnight, putting even more pressure on an already drained electrical grid.

What Japan is planning is truly a groundbreaking concept

For several years, Japan has been testing a high-temperature reactor coupled with a hydrogen production plant using the thermochemical cycle. And the results have produced something truly spectacular, a new type of red hydrogen that is clean and sustainable. Currently, 90% of the hydrogen produced today comes from fossil fuels. So that certainly isn’t going to work.

The results of those tests have been so promising that the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are building the HTGR (High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor), which will produce vast amounts of the new red hydrogen, which is a world first, by he way. One niggling problem that the Japanese need to consider is that 900 ºC temperature will pose a challenge to the existing pipelines.

The idea of red hydrogen is to produce hydrogen from a thermochemical reaction between water, iodine, and sulfur at a high temperature, around 900°C, using the thermal energy from a nuclear reactor.” – Cédric Vialle

Japan has a Green Growth Strategy in place that aligns with the global carbon neutrality efforts that the world is aiming for, and this new project that will produce red hydrogen will serve as a potential replacement for fossil fuels and the alternative fuels sector, if Japan can actually pull it off. Several countries are exploring regions of the world that have naturally occurring hydrogen pockets, but the technology needed to extract that hydrogen is still a long way from being a reality.

Will the Japanese successfully produce cast amounts of red hydrogen

We certainly hope so. The world’s energy needs are only going to grow as the population demands more energy for everyday life. The automotive industry has pivoted towards a future where hydrogen works in tandem with a regular electric battery or a traditional gasoline-powered engine, so hydrogen is widely accepted as the most viable option to power us into the future. And Japan could lead that charge with the development of red hydrogen, which has the world’s energy experts gleeful with excitement.