Indian Department of Atomic Energy converts reactors for Green Hydrogen Production

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Indian Department of Atomic Energy converts reactors for Green Hydrogen Production

Indian Department of Atomic Energy converts reactors for Green Hydrogen Production

Industry News
Jan 08,24

During a presentation at a conference in Oarai, Japan, on April 16, 2007, BARC scientists I V Dulera and R K Sinha (later Chairman of the Atomic Commission) described the IHTR as a 600 MW (thermal) reactor capable of producing 1,000 degrees Celsius of heat.

Indian Department of Atomic Energy converts reactors for Green Hydrogen Production

The Department of Atomic Energy is undertaking an initiative to convert two experimental reactors, developed by its arms, into pilot plants for the production of nuclear-powered green hydrogen. One of these reactors is the Indian High-Temperature Reactor (IHRT), created by the Bhabha Atomic Research Center in the mid-2000s. Through the thermochemical route, involving the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen using heat instead of electricity, the IHRT was designed to generate approximately 7,000 kg of hydrogen, 18 MWh (thermal) of energy per hour, and 9 million liters of desalinated water daily.

The second reactor in focus is the 40 MW (thermal) Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at the Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research (IGCAR). Initially established to gain insights into operating a fast breeder reactor, the knowledge gained from FBTR is being applied in the development of the 500 MW 'prototype fast breeder reactor' (PFBR) near Chennai at Kalpakkam. Dr R Divakar, Group Director – Metallurgy and Material Sciences at IGCAR, announced at an energy conference in Chennai that the PFBR is scheduled to commence operation in 2024, after more than two decades of construction.

In addition, the FBTR is undergoing modifications to enable the production of green hydrogen as part of the Department of Atomic Energy's broader efforts in this direction.

Source: Business Line