Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Materials and Technologies of Ion Exchange Membranes in Hydrogen Production Officially Approved — TUNA Leads the Establishment of a New R&D Hub fo

2025-06-06 14:33:07

Recently, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology officially approved the establishment of the "Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Functional Materials and Technologies of Ion Exchange Membranes in Hydrogen Production", led by Zhejiang TUNA Environmental Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "TUNA") in collaboration with Shaoxing University. The launch of this laboratory marks a significant advancement for Zhejiang Province in the field of key hydrogen energy materials, providing critical technological support for the independent and controllable development of China's green hydrogen industry chain.Ion exchange membranes are core components of water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment, and their performance directly impacts hydrogen production efficiency and cost. Currently, high-end proton exchange membranes (PEM) rely heavily on imports, posing a bottleneck for China's hydrogen energy industry. Anion exchange membranes (AEM) are in the early stages of industrialization, with intense global competition, while alkaline electrolyzer (ALK) separator materials are undergoing continuous upgrades to improve energy efficiency, gas barrier properties, and durability. This laboratory will focus on key technological breakthroughs for various ion exchange membranes used in hydrogen production, prioritizing performance optimization, durability enhancement, and cost reduction, with the goal of developing high-performance, domestically produced ion membranes with independent intellectual property rights. This effort aims to accelerate the breaking of foreign technological monopolies and contribute to China's independent innovation in the hydrogen energy sector.

The laboratory leverages TUNA's R&D expertise in eco-friendly new materials and Shaoxing University's research strengths in functional polymer materials, while also collaborating with institutions such as Dalian University of Technology and Northeastern University to establish a full-chain innovation system spanning basic research - technological development - engineering applications. This synergy complements TUNA's industrial experience, jointly driving the iterative advancement of domestic ion membranes. In the future, the laboratory will establish three major R&D platforms: material synthesis, performance testing, and device validation, along with a dedicated incubation fund to accelerate technology commercialization. Key breakthroughs will target membrane material structural design, catalyst synergy optimization, and other critical technologies, promoting industrial applications in ALK, AEM, and PEM electrolyzers for hydrogen production.

In recent years, Zhejiang Province has designated hydrogen energy as a strategic emerging industry, issuing policies such as the "Zhejiang Hydrogen Energy Industry Development Plan", which explicitly supports technological advancements across the entire hydrogen value chain (production, storage, transportation, and application). The establishment of this laboratory is a key initiative under the provincial government’s "Strong and Supplementary Manufacturing Chain" action plan, expected to enhance Zhejiang's core competitiveness in new energy materials and provide technological support for the Yangtze River Delta Hydrogen Energy Corridor. With global green hydrogen demand surging, the market for hydrogen production ion exchange membranes is projected to exceed 10 billion RMB by 2030. The laboratory’s launch will not only help reduce domestic green hydrogen production costs but also drive upgrades in downstream industries such as electrolyzer equipment and hydrogen storage.The laboratory’s first phase will invest tens of millions of RMB in equipment procurement and talent recruitment, striving to achieve large-scale production of ion membrane products and advance China’s hydrogen energy industry toward high-end development.