DAE Inaugurates World’s First Nuclear Heat-Based Hydrogen Production Facility in Tamil Nadu
Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu), June 26 (TNT): In a major boost to India’s clean energy and advanced nuclear technology programme, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on Friday inaugurated the world’s first hydrogen production facility based on the Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle using nuclear process heat generated from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam.
The facility was inaugurated by Department of Atomic Energy Secretary and Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty in the presence of IGCAR Director Sreekumar G. Pillai.
Developed as a technology demonstrator, the facility has been established to validate hydrogen production using nuclear energy through the indigenously developed Copper-Chlorine thermochemical process designed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai.
The successful integration of nuclear process heat with hydrogen generation marks a significant technological milestone and is expected to pave the way for large-scale, carbon-free hydrogen production using advanced nuclear reactors.
Hydrogen is regarded as a key clean energy carrier for the future, and the Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle is considered one of the most promising hydrogen production technologies because of its relatively low operating temperatures and higher thermodynamic efficiency.
By utilising nuclear heat from fast reactors, the process reduces dependence on fossil fuels while eliminating greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional hydrogen production.
The facility is the outcome of joint efforts by BARC and IGCAR involving research, process development, engineering design, equipment fabrication, installation, testing and commissioning.
It will provide operational experience, facilitate optimisation of the Cu-Cl process and support future efforts to scale up nuclear-assisted hydrogen production for commercial applications.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mohanty said integrating nuclear energy with hydrogen production offers a strategic pathway towards a sustainable energy future.
He said nuclear power can provide both carbon-free electricity and high-temperature process heat required for large-scale hydrogen production, contributing to India’s energy security, decarbonisation goals and long-term sustainable development.
He congratulated the scientists, engineers and technical teams of BARC and IGCAR for transforming an advanced scientific concept into an operational reality through indigenous innovation.
Highlighting the institution’s contribution, Pillai said the achievement builds upon more than four decades of operational experience gained through the Fast Breeder Test Reactor programme and demonstrates the versatility of advanced nuclear systems in supporting India’s clean energy transition.
Established in 1971 under the Department of Atomic Energy, IGCAR has played a key role in India’s Fast Breeder Reactor programme.
The expertise developed through the Fast Breeder Test Reactor has laid the technological foundation for the country’s 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), the flagship project of the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear power programme.
The DAE said the inauguration marks an important step towards achieving the goals of AtmaNirbhar Bharat by integrating nuclear energy with clean hydrogen technologies and strengthening India’s commitment to building a sustainable, secure and low-carbon energy future.
TNT KS
