case study
12,500 Nm³/h VPSA Oxygen Plant for Copper Smelting
PKU Pioneer successfully commissioned a 12,500 Nm³/h VPSA oxygen plant for Wuxin Copper, helping eliminate oxygen supply bottlenecks and improve oxygen-enriched smelting efficiency. The project significantly reduced oxygen production costs, enhanced automation capabilities, and supported the customer’s capacity expansion and green metallurgy upgrade.
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>40%Energy Reduction
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-60%Labor Requirement
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5 MinFault Response
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Smart PLC ControlIntelligent Automation System
PKU Pioneer Commissions 12,500 Nm³/h VPSA Oxygen Plant to Boost Oxygen-enriched Copper Smelting
Recently, PKU Pioneer successfully commissioned 12,500 Nm³/h vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) oxygen plantfor Xinjiang Wuxin Copper Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Wuxin Copper”), effectively addressing the plant’s oxygen supply deficit and significantly enhancing its cathode copper capacity. The official commissioning of this project signifies Wuxin Copper ‘s enhanced commitment to promoting the innovative application of cost-effective oxygen production technologies in non-ferrous metal smelting.
Prior to the project’s implementation, Wuxin Copper relied heavily on costly liquid oxygen procurement due to insufficient cryogenic air separation capacity. This not only drove up smelting costs per ton of copper but also resulted in unstable oxygen supply, keeping the oxygen enrichment rate of the Ausmelt Furnace consistently below design levels and severely restricting production capacity. With the project in operation, VPSA oxygen production and cryogenic air separation formed a coordinated system, steadily increasing the company’s oxygen self-sufficiency and eliminating critical supply bottlenecks.
The newly deployed VPSA system utilizes advanced lithium-based molecular sieves with high nitrogen-oxygen adsorption selectivity, offering significant advantages in adsorption efficiency and energy consumption compared to conventional oxygen production methods. By carrying out a “low-pressure adsorption, vacuum desorption” cycle, (VPSA) oxygen plant reduces energy consumption by over 40% compared to traditional cryogenic plants. Furthermore, the integration of oxygen compressor pressurization and cryogenic oxygen supply ensures stable, high-efficiency oxygen enrichment for the Ausmelt furnace while minimizing low-altitude emissions, thus achieving internationally advanced environmental performance.
Additionally, (VPSA) oxygen plant features a highly automated PLC control system and remote monitoring platform, greatly enhancing operational efficiency. The number of operators has been reduced by 60% compared to cryogenic plants, while the response time to equipment faults has been cut from 30 minutes to 5 minutes. This streamlined, intelligent upgrade aligns seamlessly with Wuxin Copper’s digital transformation strategy.
According to statistics, as of July 2025, PKU Pioneer has delivered nearly 100 VPSA oxygen plants for the non-ferrous metals industry, covering a wide range of production scales—from small (1,000–3,000 Nm³/h) and medium (3,000–8,000 Nm³/h) to large (8,000–30,000 Nm³/h) applications. Moreover, in Indonesia, the world’s largest VPSA oxygen production facility with a capacity of 100,000 Nm³/h was constructed for the non-ferrous metallurgy industry, setting a new global benchmark in the scale of industrial application of pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) oxygen production technology.
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Other Cases
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12,500 Nm³/h VPSA Oxygen Plant for Changjiang Steel
PKU Pioneer successfully commissioned a 12,500 Nm³/h VPSA oxygen plant for Changjiang Steel, helping reduce liquid oxygen dependence and significantly lower blast furnace oxygen enrichment costs. The project was completed in just 73 days and delivers daily savings exceeding $14,285, further strengthening energy efficiency and cost competitiveness for large-scale steel production.
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Blast Furnace Oxygen Enrichment PSA Project
PKU Pioneer successfully commissioned a second-phase 14,000 Nm³/h PSA oxygen plant for Chifeng Yuanlian Iron & Steel, expanding total oxygen generation capacity to 28,000 Nm³/h. The project significantly reduced oxygen production costs, improved operational flexibility, and supported the steel mill’s energy-saving and low-carbon transformation goals.
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VPSA Oxygen Plant for Nickel & Copper Smelting
PKU Pioneer successfully commissioned two 5,556 Nm³/h VPSA oxygen plants for Jinchuan Group, providing stable oxygen supply for nickel flash smelting and copper synthesis furnaces. The project was completed ahead of schedule, helping the customer rapidly expand production capacity while improving oxygen supply flexibility, energy efficiency, and operational reliability.
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