Department of Atomic Energy sets up world's first hydrogen production facility at IGCAR

Chennai: In a major boost to India's clean energy and advanced nuclear technology programme, the Department of Atomic Energy on Friday established the world's first hydrogen production facility using nuclear process heat at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam near here.

The facility was inaugurated by Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), in the presence of Sreekumar G Pillai, Director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR).

The facility has been established as a technology demonstrator to validate the production of hydrogen using nuclear energy through the Copper-Chlorine (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, a release from IGCAR said.

Hydrogen is widely regarded as a key energy carrier for the future and is expected to play a pivotal role in the global transition towards clean and sustainable energy systems.

Among the various hydrogen production technologies under development worldwide, the Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle is considered one of the most promising due to its relatively lower operating temperatures and higher thermodynamic efficiency.

By harnessing nuclear heat from fast reactors, the process significantly reduces dependence on fossil fuels and eliminates greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional hydrogen production methods.

The commissioning of the facility represents the culmination of extensive research, process development, engineering design, equipment fabrication, installation, testing and commissioning efforts undertaken jointly by BARC and IGCAR.

The plant will provide valuable operational experience, facilitate further optimization of the Cu-Cl process and support future research aimed at scaling up nuclear-assisted hydrogen production technologies for commercial deployment.

Addressing the gathering, Ajit Kumar said, "The integration of nuclear energy with emerging clean energy technologies such as hydrogen production represents a strategic pathway towards a sustainable energy future. 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, decarbonization goals and long-term sustainable development objectives".