Influence of copper addition to nickel containing zeolite on activity and product selectivity in the hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane was investigated. Ni(2.0)SiBEA and Cu(2.0)Ni(2.0)SiBEA zeolites were prepared by a two-steps postsynthesis method which consist of (1) creation of vacant T-atom sites by dealumination of calcined BEA zeolite with nitric acid and then (2) impregnation of as resulting SiBEA with aqueous nickel nitrate solution or co-impregnation with aqueous nickel and copper nitrate solution, respectively. Calcination at 773 K for 3 h in air and then reduction at 873 K over 3 h in flowing 10% H-2/Ar of Ni(2.0)SiBEA and Cu(2.0)Ni(2.0)SiBEA, with an isolated pseudo-tetrahedral Ni(II) and Cu(II) species incorporated into BEA framework, leads to formation of red-C-Ni(2.0)SiBEA and red-C-Cu(2.0)Ni(2.0)SiBEA catalysts with very well dispersed metal nanoparticles. The state of nickel and copper in catalysts after calcination, reduction and reaction was characterized by XRD, low-temperature N-2 sorption, TPR and XPS. The red-C-Ni(2.0)SiBEA and red-C-Cu(2.0)Ni(2.0)SiBEA catalysts were active in hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane with very high selectivity into ethylene (90 and 96% respectively), desired product of this reaction. Thus, the simultaneous introduction of copper and nickel ions in SiBEA in the second step of postsynthesis procedure allows obtaining bimetallic red-C-Cu(2.0)Ni(2.0)SiBEA catalyst with well dispersed, separated Cu and Ni particles with higher selectivity toward ethylene than red-C-Ni(2.0)SiBEA catalyst. TEM experiments have shown that after catalytic run a very small agglomeration of metal particles took place. According to TPH and XPS measurements chlorine containing species are present in spent zeolite catalysts. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.