Bondalti has successfully started operation of its state-of-the-art chlor-alkali production unit with new electrolyzers in Estarreja. Built by the German engineering company CAC Engineering and incorporating Asahi Kasei’s latest chlor-alkali electrolysis technology, the revamped unit will further reduce energy consumption and optimize chlor-alkali industry processes.
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Together with CAC Engineering (CAC), Asahi Kasei installed nine chlor-alkali electrolyzers at Bondalti Chemicals’ (Bondalti) facilities in Estarreja, Portugal. This brine electrolysis plant revamp project, co-financed by the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), marks a new phase of modernization and will significantly increase efficiency and reliability. It will also support the achievement of Bondalti’s ambitious decarbonization goals, which are part of the company’s long-term strategy.
With increasingly stringent EU decarbonization regulations, the industry is under pressure to reassess energy consumption and resource use during production processes. At Bondalti’s upgraded production unit, one of the nine electrolyzers will also be used for testing new components, with the aim of improving the environmental performance of electrolyzers, including reducing energy use and optimizing resources. This electrolyzer incorporates Asahi Kasei’s latest membranes and electrodes, which deliver higher performance compared to conventional products.
Electrolyzers apply an electric current to separate brine (concentrated saltwater) into chlorine, caustic soda, and hydrogen, which are used in a wide range of chemical products across different industries. In line with Asahi Kasei’s efforts to establish a circular economy in the chlor-alkali sector, used cells and electrodes from these tests will be recycled into materials for reuse in new components.
“The start of this new phase of operations at our state-of-the-art chlor-alkali plant was made possible thanks to the expertise of our partners and the dedication and skills of our teams”, said David Lopes, Director at Bondalti. “This achievement is a strategic milestone in Bondalti’s commitment to sustainable innovation and operational excellence, strengthening our vision to lead the way in responsible chemical production.”
“We are pleased to see Bondalti’s production unit starting operations on schedule”, added Yoshifumi Kado, General Manager of the Ion Exchange Membrane and Electrolysis System Division at Asahi Kasei. “By combining Asahi Kasei’s comprehensive system know-how with CAC’s advanced engineering technology and Bondalti’s on-site expertise, these three entities will push the boundaries of the European chlor-alkali industry, contributing to a more sustainable approach to production.”
“The integration of nine new electrolyzers into full production was an exceptional technical task and further proof of our long-standing cooperation with Asahi Kasei for more than 25 years, and our careful and constructive collaboration with Bondalti’s experienced team for over 8 years across various projects”, concluded Mike Niederstadt, COO of CAC Engineering. “The project clearly demonstrates the advantages of combining technological innovation, operational excellence, and large-scale plant engineering expertise on a constructive and cooperative basis.”
As a unique solution provider for the chlor-alkali industry, Asahi Kasei combines five decades of experience in development, production, and operation of electrolysis systems and components with operation monitoring systems and software analysis services provided by Recherche 2000, an Asahi Kasei company based in Canada, and more recently, the creation of a metal recycling ecosystem. The company manufactures and supplies ion-exchange membranes, electrolysis cells, electrodes, and operational expertise for electrolysis facilities.
