Two ZJU projects earn spots in Tencent’s 2023 CarbonX Program TOP30

Recently, Tencent’s CarbonX Program unveiled its results in Shenzhen, and two projects led by Zhejiang University stood out among the extensive pool of over 300 projects, securing a spot in the coveted Tencent’s CarbonX Program TOP30. These exceptional projects are centered around “Physical adsorption-based carbon capture technology for high-temperature and high-humidity scenarios” and “Equipment for direct air carbon capture in a flexible, modular, ultra-low-energy way”.

According to Prof. XING Huabin, chief scientist spearheading the “Physical adsorption-based carbon capture technology for high-temperature and high-humidity scenarios”, this pioneering technology, based on physically adsorbents characterized by their exceptional stability and remarkable carbon dioxide adsorptive separation performance, can streamline complex pre-treatment steps prior to carbon capture. Coupled with the efficient regeneration process, it can achieve a rapid adsorption-desorption cycle. This technology can effectively reduce energy consumption and costs in the carbon capture process, rendering it a feasible solution for medium to low-concentration capture scenarios facing formidable emission reduction demands. The team’s future endeavors will revolve around the practical application of carbon dioxide adsorptive capture technology for high-temperature and high-humidity scenarios, thereby contributing to the implementation of the ‘Dual Carbon’ strategy.

According to Prof. WANG Tao, chief scientist of the “Equipment for direct air carbon capture in a flexible, modular, ultra-low-energy way”, the project harnesses cutting-edge ultra-low-energy moisture swing technology. Leveraging mass-producible and stable hierarchical porous polymer materials, alongside structured adsorbents and fractional flow channels, the team has successfully developed a high-throughput, low-pressure-loss, and efficient air carbon capture reactor. This groundbreaking innovation integrates renewable energy and biotransformation technologies for multi-scenario resource utilization. The team remains steadfastly committed to advancing the practical applications of direct air carbon capture technology via moisture swing, with the ultimate goal of contributing to global carbon neutrality in the foreseeable future.

The ‘CarbonX Program’ is a collaborative initiative between Tencent and its industrial, investment and ecosystem partners. It is China’s first large-scale funding program in the field of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), championed by technology companies. The program aims to discover next-generation, cutting-edge low-carbon technologies, extend flexible funding and resources, and promote the scaling-up of advanced technologies by 2030. Each of the 30 honored projects will receive a generous prize of 500,000 RMB. Moreover, the Organizing Committee of the Tencent ‘CarbonX Program’ will select a subset of the most promising projects from this elite group for additional investment.

Photo: The Interviewees; KONG Xiaorui