World's First! India Launches Nuclear Heat Powered Hydrogen Facility at Kalpakkam

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has inaugurated the world's first Copper Chlorine Hydrogen Production Facility that uses nuclear heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) . The facility, inaugurated by Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty , Secretary, DAE and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, in the presence of IGCAR Director Shri Sreekumar G. Pillai , marks a major step in India's clean energy journey by showing that nuclear reactors can produce clean hydrogen as well as electricity.

The pilot plant , jointly developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and IGCAR, uses a special Copper Chlorine process that splits water with the help of very high heat from a nuclear reactor instead of fossil fuels. According to DAE, this is the first time anywhere in the world that this process has been successfully linked with heat from an operating fast reactor. The project will help scientists improve the technology and prepare it for future large scale use.

Hydrogen is seen as one of the fuels of the future because it can help reduce pollution from steel plants, fertiliser factories, refineries, ships, aircraft and heavy transport , where switching completely to electricity is difficult. The Copper Chlorine process uses less heat than many other similar methods while producing hydrogen more efficiently. Using nuclear heat directly can also save energy compared with first making electricity and then producing hydrogen.

The achievement builds on more than 40 years of research at FBTR , India's only operating fast reactor research facility. The reactor is a special research centre where scientists test new fuels, materials and reactor technologies before using them in larger power plants. The knowledge gained from FBTR also helped develop the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) , the flagship project of the second stage of India's three stage nuclear programme .

India's three stage nuclear programme , planned by Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha , was designed to make the best use of the country's limited uranium and vast thorium reserves. Unlike ordinary nuclear reactors, fast breeder reactors can produce more usable nuclear fuel while generating energy, helping India strengthen its long term energy security and prepare for future thorium based reactors. The latest project also shows that advanced nuclear technology can support industries by producing clean hydrogen, not just electricity.

Dr. Mohanty said combining nuclear energy with hydrogen production is an important step towards a cleaner and more secure energy future. He praised the scientists, engineers and technical teams of BARC and IGCAR for turning years of research into reality. Shri Pillai said the achievement reflects decades of work at FBTR and highlights India's growing strength in advanced nuclear technology.