PKU Pioneer Undertakes China Key R&D Program Project on Low-Cost PSA Hydrogen Purification

In December 2024, PKU Pioneer's "Low-Cost Gas Purification and Hydrogen Purification Technology Research" project was officially approved for establishment. As a sub-project under the "Thermochemical Hydrogen Production Technology and Verification Platform for Multi-Source Organic Solid Waste" initiative, a part of the "Hydrogen Energy Technology" special program of the 2024 China Key R&D Plan, the project is also an important component of the 13 key tasks in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for Hydrogen Energy Technology Development.

The project focuses on multi-source organic solid waste, including biowaste, waste plastics, waste rubber, and waste textiles, aiming to develop a complete set of hydrogen production technologies through gasification of solid waste at a scale of 10,000 tons per year. The primary process is to pressurize and gasify organic solid waste, followed by purification and separation of the resulting syngas to obtain high-purity hydrogen.

PKU Pioneer and Nanjing Tech University jointly formed a specialized research team of 38 scientists to efficiently advance the project, whose core mission is to develop low-cost gas purification and PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) hydrogen purification technology to enhance the economic viability of hydrogen purification and separation, thereby accelerating the industrialization of hydrogen production from organic solid waste.

In recent years, PKU Pioneer has been deeply engaged in PSA hydrogen purification technology and conducting systematic research on high-performance adsorbent development, process optimization, and equipment automatic control. These efforts have led to multiple breakthrough R&D achievements. PKU Pioneer has built over 40 PSA hydrogen plants, which are widely applied in the petroleum and chemical industries, providing enterprises with efficient and stable high-purity H2 supply (up to 99.9%). The PSA-H2 units are used to synthesize TDI, DMC, acetic acid, ethylene glycol, and other chemical products, effectively enhancing production efficiency, reducing raw material costs, and optimizing energy consumption structures.

The National Key R&D Program represents the highest-level research initiative in China. The approval of the low-cost hydrogen production project signifies industry-wide recognition of PKU Pioneer’s PSA hydrogen purification technology. Through collaboration with top-tier research teams, PKU Pioneer will further enhance its technological capabilities and market competitiveness, accelerate the commercialization of research results to drive its long-term strategic development in the PSA technology area.

As a clean energy source, hydrogen energy can effectively reduce fossil fuel consumption and lower emissions of CO2 and other pollutants, thereby improving air quality and protecting the ecological environment. With the escalating challenges of global climate change, the development and application of hydrogen energy have become crucial for optimizing the energy structure and achieving sustainable development.

The successful implementation of this project will significantly enhance China's hydrogen purification and separation technology level to strengthen its competitiveness in the international market. It will also accelerate the development of the hydrogen production industry from organic solid waste, thus helping China achieve multiple goals of optimizing its energy structure, protecting the environment, and sustaining economic growth.

While deepening its expertise in H2 purification technology, PKU Pioneer has also achieved remarkable success in oxygen production. Our advanced VPSA/PSA oxygen generation technology provides efficient and stable oxygen supply solutions for industries such as steel, non-ferrous metallurgy, chemistry, glass, and fiberglass, etc. PKU Pioneer’s VPSA and PSA oxygen generation units feature low energy consumption, high automation level, stable operation, and flexible trundown ratio, meeting tailored oxygen enrichment requirements from customers. To date, PKU Pioneer has successfully built and commissioned nearly 400 oxygen plants, making it the global leader in VPSA/PSA oxygen generation references and the preferred technology provider for low-cost industrial oxygen supply.