繁 Amid the global push for carbon reduction and net-zero emissions, Professor Guobin Zhong and his team from Yuan Ze University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering broke through the traditional bottlenecks of green hydrogen production with innovative thinking. They successfully developed a “next-generation PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) water electrolysis technology,” which produced high-concentration ozone and electronic-grade green hydrogen at low voltage and low cost, effectively reducing carbon emissions. This achievement was recognized with both the 21st National Innovation Award and the 2025 Future Technology Award for Highlighted Technology, demonstrating Yuan Ze University’s R&D strength in advanced energy technology and low-carbon applications.
Zhong Guobin pointed out that, while renewable energy was being actively developed worldwide, electricity supply was unstable due to environmental factors, making water electrolysis an important approach for energy storage and carbon reduction. PEM water electrolysis offered high efficiency, low-temperature operation, and modularity, making it a key technology in the international green hydrogen industry. Market forecasts indicated that the global PEM water electrolysis market would grow from NT$42 billion in 2024 to NT$135 billion by 2035, showing strong potential.
The Yuan Ze team’s “next-generation PEM water electrolysis system” featured low voltage (4V) and non-precious metal electrodes, allowing pure water to be directly split into a high-concentration ozone (15–20%) and oxygen (80–85%) mixture, with electronic-grade green hydrogen as a byproduct. Compared with conventional methods that generated ozone using high-pressure oxygen and high voltage, this approach significantly reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions, while eliminating the safety risks associated with transporting and storing high-pressure gas cylinders.
The technology was applied to semiconductor waste liquid degradation, effectively replacing the traditional high-pressure oxygen cylinder method for ozone generation. This not only reduced the carbon footprint but also freed up factory space. The byproduct hydrogen could be used in critical semiconductor processes, including annealing, ion implantation, and lithography, assisting the industry in achieving low-carbon and high-efficiency process transformation.
Zhong Guobin emphasized that the system used pure water as the sole raw material and featured low energy consumption, low carbon emissions, minimal space requirements, and low cost, providing a feasible low-carbon solution for the semiconductor industry. The team also planned to expand the technology to more industrial applications. With global hydrogen demand estimated to increase six- to eightfold by 2050 compared with 2020, the ozone, oxygen, and green hydrogen produced via water electrolysis could be reused in semiconductor processes and extended to other low-carbon fields.
In food preservation, the team proposed on-site production of ozone and hydrogen using next-generation PEM technology to replace carbon dioxide and nitrogen required for traditional modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). This approach not only enhanced antibacterial and antioxidant effects but also reduced carbon emissions from transporting high-pressure gases. Related technology had already obtained multiple international patents.
In green healthcare, the team developed water electrolysis-based production of medical-grade ozone, high-pressure oxygen, and high-purity hydrogen, applying it to treatments for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This work won the Platinum Award at the 2020 Taiwan Innovation Expo, demonstrating the potential of low-carbon medical applications.
Facing the challenges of climate change, the Yuan Ze University team proposed the “negative-carbon hydrogen economy with low-carbon ozone (Hydrogen Economy 2.0)” concept based on next-generation PEM water electrolysis technology. They aimed to start from semiconductor manufacturing and extend applications to food, healthcare, and agriculture, achieving carbon reduction and sustainable coexistence. Yuan Ze University stated that this technological breakthrough demonstrated the academic sector’s innovation in energy transition and established Taiwan’s important technical and strategic position in the global green hydrogen and net-zero race.
