The second-phase 14,000 Nm³/h pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation facility, constructed by Beijing Peking University Pioneer Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as PKU Pioneer) for Chifeng Yuanlian Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Chifeng Yuanlian), has successfully commissioned and achieved stable oxygen supply. With this milestone, Chifeng Yuanlian’s total PSA oxygen generation capacity reaches 28,000 Nm³/h, significantly reducing the cost of blast furnace oxygen enrichment.
Chifeng Yuanlian operates one 1,200 m³ blast furnace, one 1,280 m³ blast furnace, two 110-ton converters, and multiple high-end plate production lines including medium-wide strip steel and cold-rolled galvanizing. In response to the national “Special Action Plan for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in the Iron and Steel Industry,” and the implementation of a comprehensive conservation strategy, Chifeng Yuanlian moved quickly to launch the second-phase project. This decision followed the significant benefits achieved from the first-phase 14,000 Nm³/h PSA oxygen generation project, which was developed in cooperation with PKU Pioneer in 2024 to further optimize blast furnace oxygen costs and the overall energy consumption structure of the plant.
Measured data following the project’s commissioning fully validates the core value of the upgraded oxygen generation capacity. Based on Chifeng’s industrial electricity price of RMB 0.35 per kilowatt-hour, the specific oxygen consumption cost of the plant’s original cryogenic air separation system was RMB 0.28 per Nm³. PKU Pioneer’s PSA oxygen generation equipment has reduced this cost by over 60%. With a combined pure oxygen output of 22,400 Nm³/h from both phases, the plant saves more than RMB 90,000 in daily oxygen generation costs, translating to an annual reduction of RMB 32 million (equivalent to $4.5 million). Meanwhile, the total oxygen generation capacity of 28,000 Nm³/h precisely matches the blast furnace oxygen enrichment demand. The equipment’s features of convenient start-stop and flexible load adjustment have further reduced the plant’s overall air separation emission rate, providing strong support for Chifeng Yuanlian to improve its green manufacturing system.