Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A process for hydrogen combination in nuclear power stations, reprocessing plants, or fuel element stores, comprising:providing a nuclear power station, a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant or a nuclear fuel element store, in which hydrogen is generated by the contact of nuclear fuel with water, or by the contact of hot metal with water; andcontacting the hydrogen generated in the nuclear power station, the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant or the nuclear fuel element store and oxygen with a catalyst to form water, wherein the catalyst comprises an intrinsically hydrophobic BEA zeolite having a SiO2/Al2O3 ratio greater than 100, the BEA zeolite not being hydrophobicized with an organosilicon compound, the BEA zeolite containing a catalytically-active noble metal. 2. A process of claim 1, further comprising, after contacting the hydrogen with the catalyst, regenerating the catalyst by burning off organic deposits by heating. 3. A process of claim 1, wherein the noble metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, palladium, platinum, ruthenium, osmium, gold, silver and combinations thereof. 4. A process of claim 1, wherein the BET surface area of the catalyst is from 300 to 900 m2/g, and the integral pore volume of the catalyst is greater than 100 mm3/g. 5. A process of claim 1, wherein the noble metal is disposed essentially in pores of the BEA zeolite. 6. A process of claim 1, wherein the noble metal is platinum, palladium, or a combination thereof.