India launches world’s first nuclear-powered hydrogen production facility using Cu-Cl technology
India launches world’s first nuclear-powered hydrogen production facility using Cu-Cl technology
Publish Date: 2026-06-30 03:57:00
Source Domain: www.innovationnewsnetwork.com
India has marked a significant milestone in clean energy innovation with the launch of the world’s first nuclear-powered hydrogen production facility based on the Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle.
The demonstration plant, located at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam, integrates nuclear process heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) to generate hydrogen without relying on fossil fuels.
The facility was inaugurated by Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, alongside IGCAR Director Shri Sreekumar G. Pillai.
Developed through a collaboration between the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and IGCAR, the project represents a major advance in India’s clean energy and nuclear research programmes.
By successfully coupling nuclear reactor heat with hydrogen generation, the initiative demonstrates the potential for large-scale, low-carbon hydrogen production.
The achievement positions India at the forefront of advanced hydrogen technologies while showcasing a new pathway for producing clean hydrogen using next-generation nuclear reactors.
Demonstrating a new approach to nuclear-powered hydrogen production
The newly commissioned plant has been established as a technology demonstrator to validate the Cu-Cl thermochemical process, an innovative hydrogen production method developed by BARC.
Unlike conventional hydrogen production, which often depends on natural gas and generates significant carbon emissions, the Cu-Cl process harnesses high-temperature nuclear heat to drive a series of chemical reactions that split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Because the process operates at lower temperatures than many alternative thermochemical cycles, it offers improved efficiency while reducing engineering challenges.
The successful integration of the Cu-Cl process with heat supplied by the FBTR demonstrates that advanced nuclear facilities can…
