The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has inaugurated the world’s first hydrogen production facility based on the copper–chlorine (Cu–Cl) thermochemical cycle using nuclear process heat. The facility has been set up at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, and uses process heat generated from the fast breeder test reactor to produce hydrogen.
The facility has been developed as a technology demonstrator to validate hydrogen production using the indigenously developed Cu–Cl thermochemical process of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. It marks a significant step towards large-scale, carbon-free hydrogen production using advanced nuclear reactors. The facility will also help optimise the technology and provide operational experience for scaling up nuclear-assisted hydrogen production for future commercial deployment.
