India's Department of Atomic Energy has commissioned what it says is the world's first hydrogen production facility that uses heat from a nuclear reactor. The plant is located at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, and uses the Copper-Chlorine thermochemical cycle to split water into hydrogen. The heat comes from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor, which has been operating for over four decades. The project is a technology demonstrator developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and IGCAR. It aims to validate large-scale, carbon-free hydrogen production using nuclear process heat instead of fossil fuels. The Cu-Cl cycle operates at lower temperatures than some alternatives and offers higher thermodynamic efficiency, which could make it more practical for commercial deployment. This matters because most hydrogen today is made from natural gas, which emits CO2. Nuclear-assisted hydrogen could provide a steady, emissions-free supply for industrial use, especially if paired with advanced reactors. India is also building a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, and this demonstration could inform how future reactors integrate hydrogen production into their operations.
