── What led you to focus on formic acid in this joint research project?

Magatani: Hydrogen is expected to be a key energy source in achieving decarbonization, but widespread adoption requires technology that enables it to be stored and transported safely and efficiently. In its gaseous form, hydrogen has a large volume, making transport inefficient, and its flammability presents explosion risks, making large-scale practical use difficult from a storage and transport perspective.
To overcome these challenges, research is underway around the world to liquefy hydrogen or chemically incorporate it into other substances with smaller volumes—such as ammonia or MCH (methylcyclohexane)—for easier transport and storage. These substances are called “hydrogen carriers,” and in recent years, formic acid has drawn attention as a promising hydrogen carrier.

One advantage of using formic acid is that, unlike other hydrogen carriers, it is not classified as a hazardous substance under regulations if diluted with water to a certain concentration. This makes transportation and storage much easier and less restricted.

Another reason formic acid is seen as promising is that it can release hydrogen at relatively low temperatures—below 100°C—unlike other substances. For example, it is possible to generate hydrogen using hot water from a household solar water heater, which could promote the spread of hydrogen energy not only at hydrogen stations but also in regular homes.

Although formic acid holds such great potential, in order to realize its practical use as a hydrogen carrier, efficient catalysts are needed to both incorporate hydrogen into formic acid and extract it. This joint project addressed the challenge of developing such catalysts.

── How is the progress of the joint project that HighChem participated in?

Hao: The three-year joint project (2022–2025), selected by JICA and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, is being carried out in collaboration with Kunming Institute of Precious Metals (Guikin), a major Chinese precious metals supplier. Although the project is still ongoing, we have already succeeded in developing new technology and have achieved the initial goals ahead of schedule.

The key technology involves a "solid" catalyst. There is intense global competition around developing catalysts that can extract hydrogen from formic acid, and most of them are in liquid form, like the formic acid itself. However, with liquid catalysts, it remains a major challenge to separate the catalyst from the formic acid after hydrogen has been extracted.

Our project focused on the fact that precious metals are generally effective catalysts for hydrogen-related chemical reactions. HighChem already has experience industrializing catalysts using precious metals, and in this project, we succeeded in developing a "solid" catalyst for formic acid using palladium.
With a solid catalyst, it is easy to separate it from formic acid after hydrogen extraction, and it can also be reused. This technology is expected to make formic acid much more practical and convenient as a hydrogen carrier.

── What role does HighChem play in this project?

Magatani: In this project, we are responsible for developing the technology to synthesize formic acid from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. This technology allows for the reuse of CO₂ after hydrogen extraction, making it a valuable method for significantly contributing to carbon reduction. It effectively enables a CO₂ recycling chain using formic acid (see diagram).

Hao: HighChem has a proven track record of scaling up its core product—the SEG catalyst (which synthesizes ethylene glycol from syngas)—from pilot to full-scale production. This latest success also stems from our strong technical capabilities. Our catalyst technology is being considered for commercialization in many fields, and numerous projects are currently underway beyond this one.
Additionally, formic acid is used not only as a hydrogen carrier but also for applications such as antimicrobial agents. Once mass production is realized, we will be able to offer it to a broad range of potential users.

── What was the background for participating in this JICA-led joint project?

Magatani: JICA of Japan and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology are conducting joint Japan-China projects in various fields to help solve social issues in China and support Japanese companies entering the Chinese market. We believe our proposal on hydrogen carriers was selected due to the inherent land use challenges in China.

In China, renewable energy such as solar and wind power is concentrated in the northern regions like Inner Mongolia, and hydropower is prominent in the southern provinces such as Yunnan. Meanwhile, energy consumption centers are mostly located along the coastal regions, including Shanghai. China has also set decarbonization as a major national goal. Therefore, developing a safe and efficient hydrogen carrier to connect inland production areas with coastal consumption areas has become an urgent issue.


Hao: In this project, HighChem partnered with Guiyan, China’s largest precious metal supplier handling gold, silver, palladium, platinum, and rhodium. Guiyan is not only a commercial enterprise but also operates a research institute with academic-level capabilities. Guiyan has long been a supplier of precious metals for HighChem’s catalyst-related businesses. In 2021, Guiyan requested our cooperation to apply for the Japan-China joint project.

After discussion, HighChem proposed to Guiyan that they make "formic acid" the development theme, as it combines Guiyan’s expertise in precious metals with HighChem’s strength in catalyst technology. This proposal was selected for the Japan-China joint project.
Guiyan, which conducts world-class research in the field of precious metals, and HighChem, with its advanced catalyst technology, were able to receive national-level support from both Japan and China. We believe this collaboration represents an ideal match, leveraging the strengths of both parties.

── What are the future plans for the groundbreaking research results on formic acid?

Zhang:We have already succeeded in synthesizing catalysts for both formic acid decomposition and synthesis on a scale of several tens of grams. The project has achieved its initial goals well ahead of the deadline. We expect to achieve synthesis on a kilogram scale within the year. Based on that experience, we will begin large-scale production at the ton level at our Nantong catalyst plant and other facilities. We will fully utilize HighChem’s renowned catalyst scale-up capabilities and rapid commercialization know-how to industrialize formic acid catalysts, which are essential for hydrogen energy applications, and advance them toward full-scale practical use.

We are also considering submitting academic papers and filing patents based on the results of this project. The project has gained global attention as a successful case, including from JICA, and we are preparing to participate in further joint projects in the future.

Hao: Hao: As mentioned earlier, the results of this Japan-China joint project are not limited to applications within China. We believe they can be widely applied in Japan and other countries facing similar challenges, contributing to global decarbonization efforts. We are confident that obtaining patents and continued participation in projects like those led by JICA will further enhance HighChem’s ability to drive innovation in decarbonization and hydrogen energy technologies.

HighChem’s catalyst technology—recognized globally for its development capabilities and scale-up expertise—continues to expand its potential. We welcome inquiries from companies and partners interested in collaborating with us on development in the fields of decarbonization and hydrogen energy technologies.