Kalpakkam, Jun 27: India has commissioned the world’s first hydrogen production facility based on the Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle using nuclear process heat generated from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam.
The facility was inaugurated by Department of Atomic Energy Secretary Ajit Kumar Mohanty, who said the integration of nuclear energy with clean technologies such as hydrogen production offers a strategic pathway towards a sustainable energy future. He said nuclear power, with its ability to provide reliable carbon-free electricity, is well suited for large-scale hydrogen production while supporting India’s energy security, decarbonisation goals and long-term sustainable development.
Developed as a technology demonstrator, the facility is designed to validate hydrogen production using the indigenously developed Copper-Chlorine thermochemical process created by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai.
The Department of Atomic Energy said the commissioning of the facility marks the culmination of extensive research, process development, engineering design, equipment fabrication, installation, testing and commissioning carried out jointly by BARC and IGCAR. (Agencies)
