Event
- Event ID
- 123
- Quality
- Description
The incident took place in a calcium powdered wire manufactory of "Chepetsk Mechanical Plant". Some amount of water found its way into a container with a mix of different, possibly steel powders. As a result of the chemical reaction, hydrogen was generated, which exploded, ignited by a sparks. The explosion caused 5 injuries and 4 fatalities.
- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Macro-region
- Europe
- Country
- Russia
- Date
- Component involved
- chemical storage tank
- Failure mode
- internal explosion
- Initiating cause
- accidental hydrogen formation
- Root causes
- Date entry in HIAD
- 28/02/2009
Facility
- Application
- Chemical industry
- Sub-application
- Ca & derivatives production
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
chemicals storage tank
- Process temperature range [C]
- ambient temperature (-50°C to +50°C)
- Process pressure range [MPa]
- ambient pressure (around 0.1 MPa)
- Location type
- Confined
- Location
- industrial area
- Operational condition
- Description of the facility/unit/process/substances
The plant was a major global center for nuclear metallurgy and special materials, producing:
Nuclear Materials: Zirconium and hafnium products, calcium, and structural components/claddings for nuclear reactor fuel assemblies.
Superconductors: Low-temperature superconducting materials and strands used for advanced scientific and energy projects.
Other Metals: High-purity electrolytic calcium, titanium, and niobium alloys.
Industrial Goods: Specialized tubes, wire, and sheets utilized in nuclear power, aerospace, shipbuilding, oil and gas, and medical industries
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 4
- Number of injured persons
- 5
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
- Explosion type
- Deflagration
References
- Sources categories
- News
- Reference & weblink
NUCNET, 25 June 2001
https://www.nucnet.org/news/russia-four-killed-in-calcium-production-plant-explosion
(accessed August 2026)
