World’s First Nuclear-Powered Hydrogen Plant Launched in India

World’s first nuclear power hydrogen plant was launched in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. The plant is the world's first nuclear-powered hydrogen production facility based on the Copper-Chlorine(Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle that utilises nuclear process heat generated from Fast Breeder Test Reactors at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research IGCAR), Kalpakkam. 

Features of the World's First Hydrogen Production Facility

The plant is developed indigenously in collaboration with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai and IGCAR. This marks a milestone in transitioning traditional power generation into clean energy. Here are the key features of the world’s first hydrogen production facility. 

• The plant uses a direct heat process using high-temperature thermal energy of 500°C from nuclear reactors rather than electricity to split water molecules.

• The plant is developed based on indigenous technology, a custom chemical process developed by the BARC and engineered by IGCAR.

• The Copper-Chlorine compounds use high efficiency and a closed-loop cycle for water-splitting chemical reactions, using the recycled system to reduce waste and minimise material used during the process. 

• It will produce clean energy 24/7 without weather interruptions. 

How does it work?

The plant is based on the Copper-Chlorine(Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle, it is a hybrid process combining chemical steps that are driven by heat and a low-voltage electrochemical step. The process splits water molecules into hydrogen(H) and oxygen (O2) following these steps:

1. When the solid copper reacts with hydrochloric gas at high temperature (430- 475 °C) to produce hydrogen gas and molten copper chloride.

2. In the next process the Copper chloride reacts with steam at 400°C  to produce copper oxychloride and hydrogen gas.

3. In the third steps the copper oxychloride is heated to 500°C using the high-temperature process heat from the FBTR by breaking it down into oxygen gas and copper chloride. 

4. At last, it follows the electrolysis step an room temperature electrochemical reaction takes the remaining copper chloride by resetting the chemicals back into pure copper and hydrochloric acid to restart the cycle. 

In this whole process the only inputs used are water and nuclear heat because the chemicals are fully recovered and reused in a closed loop. The only outputs are clean hydrogen and oxygen. 

What is a Fast Breeder Test Reactor?

A fast breeder is a liquid sodium-cooled fast neutron test reactor. It uses advanced nuclear fuels, materials and sodium technology.  It is called a breeder reactor because it is designed to produce or breed more fissile material than it consumes, maximising uranium efficiency. 

The fast breeder test reactor(FBTR) is located at IGCAR in Kapakkam, commissioned in 1985 but at present it is fully operational at its full capacity of 40 MW thermal. 

How is it different from other hydrogen production methods?

Nuclear hydrogen is also known as pink hydrogen which is different from the Grey ( uses methane by reforming of fossil fuels and releases a large amount of CO2) and Green hydrogen ( produced via electrolysis through renewable energy and water but can not run continuously because it uses solar panels and wind turbines).

However, nuclear hydrogen uses the thermochemical process to avoid the middle process of converting heat into electricity by utilising thermal energy directly to drive chemical reactions. It extracts its energy from hydrogen per unit which requires far less electrical voltage. It can operate continuously 24/7. The Cu-Cl cycle works at a highly manageable 500°C, which is easier to handle than other thermochemical cycles. 

What is the Significance?

The launch of India’s nuclear-powered hydrogen plant marks a prime example for global decarbonisation and energy security. The facility can help to reduce green house gas emissions by directly contributing to India’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. 

The technology used in the plant is indigenously developed which showcases India’s capacity to pioneer advanced deep-tech solutions by considering India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.