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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Explosion at a chlorine production unit

Event

Event ID
667
Quality
Description

Air and chlorine entered the hydrogen header reacting explosively with hydrogen.

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 (header)
Failure mode
internal explosion
Initiating cause
malfunctioning (electrolyser, cross-over)
Root causes
Unknown
Date entry in HIAD
28/01/2026

Facility

Application
Chemical industry
Sub-application
chlorine production
Hydrogen supply chain stage
Process temperature range [C]
Above ambient temperature (50°C to 100°C)
Location type
Confined
Location
unknown
Operational condition
UNKNOWN

Emergency & Consequences

Number of fatalities
0
Number of injured persons
0
Currency
US$
Property loss (onsite)
1.450.000

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)

Extract from 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)