India just built the world’s first hydrogen plant that runs on nuclear heat rather than electricity
India has commissioned a hydrogen production pilot facility that uses heat generated by nuclear reactors rather than traditional grid electricity to produce clean hydrogen.The facility is set up by the Department of Atomic Energy, Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, tamil naduusing high-temperature heat from the rapid breeder test reactor to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen through a self-developed process, marking an important step in nuclear-assisted clean energy research.
What is the copper-chlorine thermochemical cycle?
In order to understand the significance of this development, it is important to note how hydrogen is typically produced. The most widely used method currently is steam methane reforming, which relies on natural gas and high heat to extract hydrogen from fossil fuels, producing so-called gray hydrogen and generating significant carbon emissions.A cleaner alternative is electrolysis, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. When powered by renewable energy sources such as solar or wind, the process produces green hydrogen with no direct carbon emissions.However, for decades, scientists have also been developing a third pathway, the copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle. The process, developed indigenously by the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) in Mumbai, does not rely on electricity as the main input. Instead, it uses high-temperature heat, such as that produced by a nuclear reactor, to drive a series of chemical reactions involving copper and chlorine compounds that are continuously recycled within the system.Through this closed-loop cycle, water is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, while copper and chlorine compounds are reused. The process does not involve the burning of fossil fuels and produces no direct CO2 emissions.
Faster, cleaner way to produce hydrogen
Scientists are particularly encouraged by this development not only because it eliminates carbon emissions but also because of its potential efficiency advantages. While electrolysis can also produce clean hydrogen when powered by renewable energy, it involves multiple energy conversion steps, each of which results in losses.In contrast, copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycles allow the direct use of heat to drive chemical reactions without first converting the heat into electrical energy. By eliminating this intermediate step, the process has the potential to extract more hydrogen from the same amount of energy input.The cycle operates at about 500°C, a relatively modest temperature compared to other thermochemical methods that require higher heat levels, making large-scale deployment more challenging. Fast breeder reactors, such as the Fast Breeder Reactor (FBTR) at Kalpakkam, are able to provide heat in this temperature range, making this approach more technically feasible for practical applications.
Kalpakam reactor key to demonstration of new hydrogen technology
The Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at the Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam has been a key pillar of India’s nuclear research program for decades. It is a sodium-cooled fast reactor that uses liquid sodium instead of water as a coolant, allowing it to operate at higher temperatures than conventional reactors. This makes it particularly suitable for providing the process heat required for copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) circulation.FBTR has also made significant contributions to the development of fuels, materials and related technologies for India’s three-stage nuclear power programme, including the 500 MWe prototype fast breeder reactor, currently under advanced development at Kalpakkam as its flagship second stage.According to the Department of Atomic Energy, the newly completed hydrogen facility is a technology demonstrator designed to validate the process under real operating conditions, generate performance data and support further optimization ahead of potential scale-up. The project is the result of a joint effort between BARC and IGCAR and involved years of research, engineering, manufacturing and pre-commissioning testing.
What is “pink hydrogen” and why is it important?
The hydrogen produced at the facility is often referred to as “pink hydrogen,” a term used for hydrogen produced using nuclear power as the primary source and producing no direct carbon emissions. It is classed as one of the cleaner hydrogen production pathways, along with green hydrogen produced from renewable energy and blue hydrogen extracted from natural gas through carbon capture.What is unique about pink hydrogen, and what the new Cu-Cl facility demonstrates, is the potential of nuclear energy to provide a continuous, weather-independent source of clean hydrogen. Unlike solar and wind power, which are intermittent and dependent on weather conditions, nuclear reactors operate around the clock.Therefore, nuclear heat-based hydrogen systems can produce hydrogen 24/7 without interruption, providing a stable and reliable supply. This consistency is particularly important for industries that require a large-scale, continuous supply of hydrogen.
Powering heavy industry with hydrogen
Industries that now rely heavily on hydrogen, including fertilizer production, oil refining and steel manufacturing, are also among India’s largest sources of carbon emissions. Fertilizer plants alone use large amounts of hydrogen to produce ammonia, most of which currently comes from natural gas.If nuclear thermal hydrogen production can be scaled up at a competitive cost, it could provide these industries with a viable path to decarbonization without requiring major changes to their core industrial processes.Hydrogen is also being explored as a potential fuel for heavy-duty transportation, including trucks, ships and possibly trains. Hydrogen has an advantage over batteries in these applications because its higher energy density per kilogram makes it more suitable for long-distance and heavy-load operations where battery weight is a limitation.Therefore, a stable, low-carbon supply of hydrogen produced continuously using nuclear energy can play an important role in accelerating India’s broader decarbonization efforts.
From electricity to hydrogen: India’s nuclear vision evolves
India’s nuclear power program has long been guided by a long-term vision beyond power generation. The three-phase plan, conceived by Dr. Homi Bhabha, aims to eventually exploit the country’s abundant thorium reserves as fuel.Including hydrogen production in the framework further expands the role of nuclear energy, moving it from electricity generation to clean fuel production. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, secretary of India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), said the development reflects India’s growing capabilities in advanced nuclear technology and demonstrates that nuclear energy can contribute to a sustainable future well beyond traditional reactor applications.
