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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Explosion at a chlorine production plant

Event

Event ID
535
Quality
Description

High concentration of GH2 in the chlorine cell gas process equipment resulted in an explosion

Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Hydrogen Release and Ignition
Nature of the consequences
Macro-region
North America
Country
United States
Date
Component involved
electrolytic cell
Failure mode
internal explosion
Initiating cause
malfunctioning (electrolyser, cross-over)
Root causes
Date entry in HIAD
28/01/2026

Facility

Application
Chemical industry
Sub-application
Chlorine & derivates production
Hydrogen supply chain stage
All components affected

chlor-alkali electrolyser

Process temperature range [C]
Above ambient temperature (50°C to 100°C)
Process pressure range [MPa]
medium pressure (2 to 10 MPa)
Location type
Confined
Location
unknown
Operational condition

Emergency & Consequences

Number of fatalities
0
Number of injured persons
0
Currency
US$
Property loss (onsite)
85.000

In-depth data

Release type
gas mixture
Involved substances (% vol)
H2,
Cl2
Release temperature [°C]
25
Probable IGNITION SOURCE
Explosion type

References

Sources categories
Zalosh
Reference & weblink

Table II - Industrial Incidents of Appendix A of Zalosh and Short

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HYDROGEN FIRE AND EXPLOSION INCIDENTS

Quarterly Report No. 2 for Period December 1, 1977 - February 28, 1978

https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6566131

(accessed September 2020)