US-based K2 Pure Solutions has begun expanding its chlor-alkali facility in Pittsburg, California, with plans to capture and sell by-product hydrogen that is typically vented during production.
The expansion will equip the existing plant with hydrogen capture, purification, and compression systems, enabling the hydrogen to be marketed as a low-carbon fuel. The chlor-alkali process, used to produce bleach, involves the electrolysis of brine, generating chlorine, sodium hydroxide, and hydrogen as a by-product.
K2 has partnered with gas marketer Pacc Services to identify customers for the recovered hydrogen, targeting local transportation, industrial, and power generation markets.
“Rather than allowing this hydrogen by-product to go unused, K2 is investing in advanced systems to capture, purify, compress, and distribute it as a low-carbon fuel,” the company said.
While production volumes have not been disclosed, K2 expects the expansion to be commissioned by early summer 2026. The company estimates the hydrogen will have a carbon intensity around 95% lower than gasoline under the US Department of Energy’s GREET model, though actual values depend on system-boundary and emissions allocation assumptions.
“Our Northern California footprint puts us close to customers who are ready to act on sustainability today, not in the distant future,” said K2 CEO Howard Brodie.
K2 joins a growing group of companies seeking to monetise by-product hydrogen. In 2024, Canadian start-up Teralta announced plans to sell waste hydrogen from Chemtrade’s sodium chlorate operations to a pulp mill in British Columbia, while earlier this year US-based Independence Hydrogen secured investment from Sumitomo Corporation to expand its waste hydrogen recycling business.