Dow Chemical, K2 start California chlor-alkali plant
Dow Chemical and K2 Pure Solutions have successfully started up a new chlor-alkali plant at Dow’s site in Pittsburg, California.
The new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will produce bleach to serve municipal water treatment facilities in Northern California.
In addition, the new plant will supply Dow’s Pittsburg operations with chlorine for the manufacture of crop protection products and other materials, the company said.
The companies celebrated the plant opening by breaking ground for a new commemorative fountain which will symbolize the successful relationship between the two companies.
“The Pittsburg facility aligns with Dow’s ambitious 2015 sustainability goals to strengthen relationships within the communities where we operate, improve our product stewardship, reduce our global footprint, and solve some of the world’s most pressing problems – including a more sustainable supply of food and fresh water,” said Dow executive vice president Mike Gambrell.
“It also contributes to our efforts to reduce hazardous material shipments, in alignment with these goals,” he added.
“Completion of the Pittsburg facility is a key milestone that will allow us to further deliver on the promise of K2 Pure’s Inherently Safe Technology to all stakeholders,” said David Cynamon, executive chairman for K2 Pure Solutions.
“By strengthening the local economy, protecting the environment and producing the products that help ensure the supply of clean potable water for residents of Northern California, the plant contributes to the ‘Triple Bottom Line’ of economic, environmental and social responsibility that is at the heart of K2 Pure Solutions.”
K2 Pure built and operates the new plant at the Dow site in Pittsburg, California.
As part of their agreement, K2 Pure is leasing an additional facility to Dow, which K2 Pure operates to generate chlorine for use by Dow via pipeline.
“This new facility has the right scale, right location and right solutions to create value for our customers, while giving us the opportunity for future growth by providing secure, local, reliable and competitive supply,” said Gambrell. “This facility is very much in line with our equity-light strategy – a key component of Dow’s transformation into an earnings growth company.”
The project, including both facilities, has an annual capacity of 460 million pounds of chlor-alkali products.
K2 Pure utilizes salt-to-bleach technology, which uses salt, water and electricity as the principle raw materials necessary to produce bleach and chlor-alkali products.
Additionally, with the major investment in state-of-the-art fuel cells, K2 Pure will recycle 100% of the hydrogen from the plant and re-use it to create clean energy that can help power the facility without the emission of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
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