Government highlights nuclear-powered hydrogen production as key clean energy milestone

The integration of nuclear energy with emerging clean energy technologies such as hydrogen production represents a strategic pathway towards a sustainable energy future, according to the government.

Nuclear power, with its unique ability to provide reliable carbon-free electricity as well as high-temperature process heat, is ideally suited to support large-scale hydrogen production while contributing to India's energy security, decarbonisation goals and long-term sustainable development objectives, said Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC),

In a key achievement for India's clean energy and advanced nuclear technology programme, the DAE has inaugurated the world's first Hydrogen Production Facility based on the Copper–Chlorine (Cu–Cl) Thermochemical Cycle, utilising nuclear process heat generated from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam.

According to an official statement, the facility has been established as a technology demonstrator to validate the production of hydrogen using nuclear energy through the “Cu–Cl thermochemical process” developed indigenously by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai.

The successful integration of nuclear process heat with hydrogen generation marks a pioneering technological breakthrough and opens a promising pathway for large-scale, carbon-free hydrogen production using advanced nuclear reactors.

“I congratulate the scientists, engineers and technical teams of BARC and IGCAR whose sustained dedication, innovation and technical excellence have transformed an advanced scientific concept into an operational reality. This achievement is a testament to India's growing capabilities in advanced nuclear technologies and clean energy systems,” said Mohanty.

This achievement builds upon more than four decades of operational experience and technological excellence gained through the Fast Breeder Test Reactor programme at IGCAR, added Sreekumar G. Pillai, Director, IGCAR.

“The successful demonstration of hydrogen production using nuclear process heat showcases the versatility of advanced nuclear systems and underscores IGCAR's commitment to developing innovative technologies that contribute to India's clean energy transition and long-term energy security,” he mentioned.