Akzo Nobel Industrial Chemicals, together with Uhde and Uhdenora, has filed an international patent application for remote controlled chlorine production units. The patent claim is for the design and development of a small scale chlorine plant in which the process steps are developed in such a way that downscaling becomes economically feasible. A major advantage of the invention is that the process is completely automated and can be carried out using remote supervision. This will reduce the need for local operational staff to a bare minimum.

"Akzo Nobel now offers an environmentally-driven alternative for chlorine transportation and an economical alternative to the replacement of smaller plants still using outdated mercury technology," said Ellen Holmen, Business Manager for AkzoNobel's Remote Controlled Chlorine Production. "Since its introduction in 2008, we have had a great deal of interest in this approach. Most small and mid-sized chlorine users welcome it because it enables them to focus on their core business. The engineering of the plant is almost ready. We can start building the first 15,000 metric tons chlorine production unit after the summer."

The invention provides a simple, highly efficient process for producing chlorine, caustic soda, and hydrogen requiring no local permanent staff. It is a collaboration between Akzo Nobel Industrial Chemicals (Amersfoort, the Netherlands) and the engineering and construction companies Uhdenora (Milan, Italy) and Uhde (Dortmund, Germany). Both companies are active in building electrolysis cells and engineering of chemical plants, and are long-standing business partners of Akzo Nobel. The advantage for chlorine users is that they have easy access to a constant supply of chlorine, while at the same time on-site safety is increased because the need for storage and transport of chlorine is reduced.