Current Affairs - Places - Discussion

The world's first hydrogen production facility based on the Copper–Chlorine (Cu–Cl) thermochemical cycle was inaugurated by the Department of Atomic Energy on June 26, 2026, at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. The facility utilises heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) to produce carbon-free hydrogen with improved thermodynamic efficiency at lower operating temperatures. The technology was indigenously developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, and supports India's three-stage nuclear programme by extending the use of nuclear energy beyond electricity generation into clean hydrogen production.