The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has inaugurated the world's first hydrogen production facility utilizing a Copper–Chlorine (Cu–Cl) thermochemical cycle at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
The facility is powered by nuclear heat derived from a Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR). The Cu–Cl cycle is a multi-step chemical process that splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen through the application of high-temperature thermal energy.