India has inaugurated the world’s first hydrogen production facility powered by nuclear process heat. Located at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam (IGCAR), the facility uses heat generated by the Fast Breeder Test Reactor to produce hydrogen through the Copper–Chlorine thermochemical cycle.

The plant serves as a technology demonstrator designed to validate hydrogen production using nuclear energy. The Cu–Cl process was developed domestically by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai. 

By successfully combining reactor-generated heat with hydrogen production, the project represents a significant technological breakthrough and could pave the way for large-scale, carbon-free hydrogen production using advanced nuclear reactors.

Fast reactors may unlock cleaner hydrogen production

As the global energy transition accelerates, hydrogen is increasingly seen as a critical fuel for a low-carbon future. Among the many production methods being explored worldwide, the Copper–Chlorine (Cu–Cl) thermochemical cycle stands out for its lower operating temperatures and strong thermodynamic efficiency. 

When powered by nuclear heat from fast reactors, this process can drastically reduce reliance on fossil fuels while avoiding the greenhouse gas emissions typically associated with conventional hydrogen production. This makes nuclear-assisted hydrogen production a promising pathway toward cleaner and more sustainable energy systems.

According to Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of India’s Department of Atomic Energy, integrating nuclear energy with emerging clean technologies such as hydrogen production could become a strategic pathway toward a more sustainable energy future. He said that nuclear power’s ability to deliver reliable, carbon-free electricity makes it particularly suitable for large-scale hydrogen production.

“Nuclear power, with its unique ability to provide reliable carbon-free electricity as well as high-temperature process heat, is ideally suited to support large-scale hydrogen production while contributing to India’s energy security, decarbonization goals and long-term sustainable development objectives,” Mohanty said in a statement.

Bringing nuclear-assisted hydrogen closer to commercial scale

Furthermore, the launch of the facility marks a major milestone after years of joint research and engineering work by both BARC and IGCAR. The project involved extensive process development, system design, equipment fabrication, installation, and testing before reaching operational readiness. 

Beyond serving as a technical demonstration, the plant is expected to provide critical operational data that will help optimize the Copper–Chlorine process and advance research into scaling nuclear-assisted hydrogen production for future commercial use.

According to Sreekumar G. Pillai, director of IGCAR, the latest hydrogen production milestone builds on more than 40 years of operational experience gained through the Fast Breeder Test Reactor programme. He said the successful use of nuclear process heat for hydrogen production demonstrates the versatility of advanced nuclear systems and highlights IGCAR’s growing role in supporting India’s clean energy transition and long-term energy security.

The new facility is also expected to strengthen the country’s domestic clean energy capabilities by accelerating research into large-scale hydrogen production and support its long-term decarbonization goals.