Investment Opportunity: Hydrogen Recovery and Industrial H₂O₂ Production Project at Nghi Son

July 20, 2026

VAHC Secretariat 

Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical LLC (NSRP) has issued a call for interest, seeking domestic and international investors for the "Hydrogen Recovery and Industrial Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) Production Plant" project at the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. This is a strategic investment opportunity leveraging the feedstock and infrastructure advantages of one of Asia's most modern refineries.

Project Details

The project will utilize a stable feedstock supply, including process off-gas from the RFCC, CCR, and PENEX units, and surplus hydrogen from the refinery's HMU unit. The hydrogen feedstock flow is estimated at 20,000-40,000 Nm³/hour with purity up to 99.8 mol%.

The H₂O₂ production unit is designed with a capacity of 50,000 to 200,000 tonnes per year of 70% wt H₂O₂. Industrial Hydrogen Peroxide is a key chemical widely used in paper, textile, water treatment, and chemical industries.

Competitive Advantages and Cooperation Model

NSRP offers investors a compelling platform with advantages including: ready clean land within the operating complex; access to deep-water port and existing logistics systems; significant CAPEX reduction through shared infrastructure; high integration of operations, engineering, and safety; and sustainable long-term demand for the output.

The proposed cooperation model is a Business Cooperation Contract (BCC), a flexible structure allowing cooperation without establishing a new legal entity. Under this model, NSRP provides feedstock, utilities, land, infrastructure, and operational support, while the investor contributes capital, technology, and market development. Benefits and revenue will be shared based on mutually agreed commercial principles. This approach ensures efficient implementation, governance transparency, and harmonized interests.

Partner Criteria

NSRP seeks partners with strong financial capacity and fund mobilization ability; experience in the chemical sector, with preference for those having proven technology capability and market share; and a clear commitment to corporate governance, legal compliance, and ESG standards.

Interested parties should confirm their interest by email before August 31, 2026, sending a capability statement and audited financial reports for the last 3 years to: co-sited.projects@nsrp.com.vn.

Reference: Industrial Processes for Hydrogen Recovery and H₂O₂ Production

The NSRP project comprises two distinct parts: Hydrogen Recovery and Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) Production. Although interconnected, these are two separate industrial processes operating on different principles and objectives.

1. Hydrogen Recovery

The most common technology for recovering hydrogen from industrial off-gases is membrane technology, which has been successfully applied in refineries and chemical plants.

Objective: To separate and purify hydrogen (H₂) from off-gas streams, such as purge gas from ammonia synthesis or off-gas from units like RFCC, CCR, and PENEX.

Basic process with membrane technology:

1. Pre-treatment: The mixed off-gas is cleaned and its temperature and pressure are adjusted for the membrane system.

2. Membrane Separation: The gas mixture passes through hollow-fiber membrane modules. These membranes are designed to allow smaller hydrogen molecules (H₂) to permeate much faster than other molecules like CH₄, N₂, or CO.

3. Product and Retentate Streams:

   • Permeate: Hydrogen-rich (can achieve >99.9% purity), directed for further use as feedstock.

   • Retentate: Rich in other components, typically used as fuel gas for industrial furnaces.

4. Advantages: Membrane technology is relatively simple, operates continuously, consumes less energy than methods like cryogenic distillation or Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA), and can be retrofitted into existing plants.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) Production

Over 95% of the world's industrial H₂O₂ is produced via the Anthraquinone process (also known as the Riedl-Pfleiderer process). This is a cyclic process, meaning intermediate compounds are continuously recycled.

Basic steps of the Anthraquinone process:

1. Hydrogenation:

   • Feedstock: A "working solution" containing Anthraquinone (AQ) dissolved in organic solvents.

   • Reaction: The working solution is fed into a reactor with hydrogen gas (H₂) (recovered hydrogen) and a catalyst (typically palladium on a support). AQ reacts with H₂ to form Anthrahydroquinone (AHQ).

   • Chemical equation: Anthraquinone (AQ) + H₂ → Anthrahydroquinone (AHQ).

2. Oxidation:

   • Feedstock: The hydrogenated working solution (containing AHQ).

   • Reaction: This solution is sparged with air (or oxygen) in an oxidation tower. AHQ is oxidized back to AQ, simultaneously producing H₂O₂.

   • Chemical equation: Anthrahydroquinone (AHQ) + O₂ → Anthraquinone (AQ) + H₂O₂.

3. Extraction and Purification:

   • Extraction: H₂O₂ is formed in the organic phase but is more soluble in water. The post-oxidation working solution is sent to an extraction column where water selectively extracts H₂O₂ from the organic solvent, forming an aqueous H₂O₂ solution (typically 20-40% concentration).

   • Purification and Concentration: The crude H₂O₂ solution is treated to remove organic impurities and stabilizers. Finally, it is concentrated (e.g., via vacuum distillation) to commercial grades (e.g., 50%, 60%, or 70%).

   • Recycling: The working solution (AQ + solvents) after H₂O₂ removal is treated and recycled back to the hydrogenation step, beginning a new cycle.