India builds world's first hydrogen plant using nuclear heat, not electricity, at IGCAR Kalpakkam

India has started a pilot hydrogen plant at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam that uses nuclear heat instead of grid electricity to produce hydrogen. The facility uses the copper-chlorine thermochemical cycle, splitting water with high-temperature heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor. This approach avoids the emissions from steam methane reforming and bypasses the need for renewable electricity for electrolysis. The project is a step toward low-carbon hydrogen production that could work alongside nuclear power plants. The key question is how the cost and scalability compare to green hydrogen from solar or wind. If the thermochemical cycle proves efficient at scale, it could open a new path for industrial hydrogen without relying on intermittent renewables or fossil fuels.