India has commissioned the world's first nuclear hydrogen production facility at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. The facility uses heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor instead of electricity to split water into hydrogen via a copper-chlorine thermochemical cycle. This process avoids the energy losses of electrolysis and produces hydrogen with a carbon footprint comparable to green hydrogen. The demonstration unit produces 150 normal litres of hydrogen per hour. India's Bhabha Atomic Research Centre plans to scale this to a 3,000 normal litre per hour commercial facility near the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor. While the hydrogen is not classified as green because it uses nuclear rather than renewable energy, officials say the environmental benefit is similar and the efficiency gain is significant. Nuclear hydrogen could address a key challenge in clean energy: producing hydrogen at scale without relying on intermittent renewables or fossil fuels. India's three-stage nuclear program, designed to exploit domestic thorium reserves, provides the high-temperature heat needed for thermochemical splitting. This technology demonstration positions India as a first mover in nuclear hydrogen production.
