According to the DAE, the facility is Asia’s and the world's first to produce hydrogen by directly utilizing heat generated from a nuclear reactor, marking a significant milestone in both clean energy and nuclear technology.

Unlike conventional water electrolysis, which requires large amounts of electricity, the new facility harnesses process heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) to drive the Copper–Chlorine (Cu–Cl) thermochemical cycle, splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The Cu–Cl process was developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and has been integrated with IGCAR's nuclear infrastructure to demonstrate the feasibility of this advanced hydrogen production technology.

According to the Department of Atomic Energy, the plant serves as a technology demonstrator, designed to validate the integration of nuclear heat with hydrogen production before the technology is scaled up for commercial applications. By replacing electricity with high-temperature reactor heat, the process has the potential to improve overall energy efficiency while enabling the production of low-carbon hydrogen for sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, including steelmaking, chemical manufacturing, and heavy transportation.

The project is the result of a collaborative effort between IGCAR and BARC and builds upon India's more than four decades of experience in fast breeder reactor technology. The successful commissioning of this demonstration facility highlights the expanding role of nuclear energy beyond electricity generation and underscores its potential contribution to large-scale clean hydrogen production, energy security, and the country's long-term decarbonization goals.

According to the Internet