A dual pressure plant for the production of nitric acid, comprising: - an air compressor , operable to pressurize air to a pressure ranging from 2 bar to 6 bar (low pressure, LP); - a converter , operating at a low pressure (LP), operable to be fed with a stream of an ammonia/pressurized air mixture at low pressure (LP), to oxidize the ammonia and to produce an LP gaseous NO x gas/steam mixture , comprising water and NO; - a NO x gas compressor , operable to elevate the pressure of a gaseous NO x stream from a low pressure (LP) to a pressure ranging from 9 bar to 16 bar (high pressure, HP), resulting, at its downstream side, in an HP gaseous NO x stream ; - an absorber unit , operating at a high pressure (HP), operable to react the nitrogen oxides contained in the HP gaseous NO x stream with water, wherein the absorber unit provides an output product stream containing nitric acid and dissolved nitrogen oxides, and a tail gas ; and - a bleacher unit , operable to strip dissolved nitrogen oxides away from the output product stream with a stripping medium , providing a stripped nitric acid stream and a NO x -loaded stripping gas ; wherein - the bleacher unit operates at a high pressure (HP), which is about equal to the pressure at which the absorber unit is operating; - the bleacher unit is in fluid communication with a source of HP oxygen-rich gas , for providing the bleacher unit with an HP oxygen-rich gas as a stripping medium ; - the plant comprises means for directing the NO x -loaded stripping gas to the downstream side of the NO x gas compressor ; the plant being characterised in that if further comprises - a high-pressure (HP) water electrolyser , in fluid communication with the bleacher unit for providing the high-pressure (HP) oxygen-rich gas to be used as the stripping medium , alone or mixed with pressured air or any other suitable gas. - an air compressor , operable to pressurize air to a pressure ranging from 2 bar to 6 bar (low pressure, LP); - a converter , operating at a low pressure (LP), operable to be fed with a stream of an ammonia/pressurized air mixture at low pressure (LP), to oxidize the ammonia and to produce an LP gaseous NO x gas/steam mixture , comprising water and NO; - a NO x gas compressor , operable to elevate the pressure of a gaseous NO x stream from a low pressure (LP) to a pressure ranging from 9 bar to 16 bar (high pressure, HP), resulting, at its downstream side, in an HP gaseous NO x stream ; - an absorber unit , operating at a high pressure (HP), operable to react the nitrogen oxides contained in the HP gaseous NO x stream with water, wherein the absorber unit provides an output product stream containing nitric acid and dissolved nitrogen oxides, and a tail gas ; and - a bleacher unit , operable to strip dissolved nitrogen oxides away from the output product stream with a stripping medium , providing a stripped nitric acid stream and a NO x -loaded stripping gas ; - the bleacher unit operates at a high pressure (HP), which is about equal to the pressure at which the absorber unit is operating; - the bleacher unit is in fluid communication with a source of HP oxygen-rich gas , for providing the bleacher unit with an HP oxygen-rich gas as a stripping medium ; - the plant comprises means for directing the NO x -loaded stripping gas to the downstream side of the NO x gas compressor ; - a high-pressure (HP) water electrolyser , in fluid communication with the bleacher unit for providing the high-pressure (HP) oxygen-rich gas to be used as the stripping medium , alone or mixed with pressured air or any other suitable gas. <EOS>