India has started the world's first hydrogen production facility that uses nuclear process heat from a fast breeder test reactor. The plant is at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam and uses a copper chlorine thermochemical cycle developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. This method splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using high temperature heat from the reactor instead of electricity, which could make large scale carbon free hydrogen production possible. The government says this is a key achievement for clean energy and advanced nuclear technology. The facility is a technology demonstrator to validate the process before scaling up. Nuclear power can provide both reliable carbon free electricity and high temperature process heat, making it suited for industrial hydrogen production. The project builds on over 40 years of experience with the fast breeder test reactor programme at IGCAR.
