World's first Copper–Chlorine thermochemical hydrogen production facility using nuclear heat from FBTR : GS TIMES IAS-PCS

India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has inaugurated 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, Kalpakkam.

The facility has been established as a technology demonstrator to validate the indigenous Cu–Cl thermochemical hydrogen production process developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai.

A Global First

The successful integration of nuclear process heat with hydrogen production represents a pioneering technological breakthrough and provides a new pathway for large-scale, carbon-free hydrogen production using advanced nuclear reactors.

About the Copper–Chlorine (Cu–Cl) Thermochemical Cycle

The Cu–Cl Thermochemical Cycle is a hydrogen production process that uses a series of chemical reactions involving copper and chlorine compounds to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Utilizes nuclear process heat instead of burning fossil fuels.
Operates at lower temperatures than many other thermochemical hydrogen production methods.
Offers higher thermodynamic efficiency.
Produces green, carbon-free hydrogen with negligible greenhouse gas emissions.

By harnessing heat from fast breeder reactors, the process significantly reduces dependence on fossil fuels while supporting clean energy objectives.

Why is Hydrogen Important?

Hydrogen is widely regarded as a fuel of the future because it:

Serves as a clean energy carrier.
Produces only water when used as a fuel.
Can help decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, fertilizers, refining, shipping, and heavy transport.
Supports long-duration energy storage and renewable energy integration.

About IGCAR and FBTR

The Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) was established in 1971 under the Department of Atomic Energy and is India’s premier institution for research on fast breeder reactor technology.

The Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) has:

Been operational for over four decades.
Served as a test bed for developing fuels, materials, sodium coolant technology, and reactor systems.
Played a crucial role in strengthening India’s fast reactor capabilities.

The experience gained from FBTR laid the technological foundation for the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, a 500 MWe reactor that forms the flagship project of the second stage of India’s Three-Stage Nuclear Power Programme.

India’s Three-Stage Nuclear Power Programme

India’s nuclear programme is designed to maximize the utilization of its abundant thorium reserves.

Stage	Reactor Type	Fuel
Stage I	Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs)	Natural Uranium
Stage II	Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs)	Plutonium-based mixed oxide (MOX) fuel
Stage III	Advanced Thorium-based Reactors	Uranium-233 derived from Thorium