Nuclear-assisted hydrogen production facility opens in Kalpakkam, India

At the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam, the Indian Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has inaugurated a hydrogen production facility based on the copper-chlorine thermochemical cycle that uses nuclear process heat generated by the fast breeder test reactor (FBTR).

Researchers at the first-of-a-kind facility are seeking to validate the production of hydrogen using nuclear energy through the Cu-Cl thermochemical process that was developed at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai.

Clean hydrogen applications: The new facility is expected to play a key role in the Indian government's efforts to transition to carbon-free sustainable energy systems by uniting nuclear energy with clean hydrogen technologies. Hydrogen holds promise for its applications in a variety of industrial processes, including the production of ammonia and methanol and the manufacturing of iron and steel, and it can be used for energy in such industries as aviation, long-haul transportation, and agriculture.

While hydrogen is commonly produced using fossil fuels, it can be produced using nuclear power and other carbon-free or low-carbon energy sources.

The incorporation of nuclear process heat from the sodium-cooled 40-MWt FBTR is especially promising, according to the DAE, which reports advantages of a Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle, including relatively low operating temperatures and relatively high thermodynamic efficiency. The facility will focus on advancing operational experience with the Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle, optimizing the Cu-Cl process, and supporting future research that will scale up nuclear-assisted hydrogen production technologies for commercial deployment.

Versatility of advanced nuclear systems: IGCAR director Shri Sreekumar G. Pillai, who attended the hydrogen production facility's inauguration ceremony, noted that the "achievement builds upon more than four decades of operational experience and technological excellence gained through the Fast Breeder Test Reactor program at IGCAR. The successful demonstration of hydrogen production using nuclear process heat showcases the versatility of advanced nuclear systems and underscores IGCAR's commitment to developing innovative technologies that contribute to India's clean energy transition and long-term energy security."

Also in attendance was Ajit Kumar Mohanty, secretary of the DAE and chair of India's Atomic Energy Commission. He said that the "integration of nuclear energy with emerging clean energy technologies such as hydrogen production represents a strategic pathway toward 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."

Constellation hydrogen production: Researchers and utilities in the United States have also explored the production of hydrogen using nuclear power.

Three years ago, Constellation Energy began operating a nuclear-powered hydrogen production facility using power from the two-unit Nine Mile Point nuclear power plant, near Oswego, New York. The plant's hydrogen generation system was designed to use 1.25 MW of electricity per hour to produce 560 kilograms of hydrogen per day, "more than enough to meet the plant's operational hydrogen use," according to Constellation.