India has started up the world's first hydrogen production facility powered directly by nuclear process heat. The pilot plant at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam uses the Copper-Chlorine thermochemical cycle developed by BARC. It draws heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor to split water into hydrogen without fossil fuels or emissions. This extends the role of India's nuclear program beyond electricity generation into industrial hydrogen supply. The Cu-Cl process operates at lower temperatures than other thermochemical cycles, which could make it easier to scale. The facility is still a pilot, but it demonstrates a pathway for large-scale carbon-free hydrogen that does not rely on electrolysis or renewable power. For the carbon market, this opens a new category of low-carbon hydrogen production that could qualify for green hydrogen mandates and credits, provided the lifecycle emissions are properly accounted for.
