Design life of an oxygen plant

WHO's 2020 interim specification, which the 2024 document supersedes, called this a guarantee of obsolescence: the letter had to come from the manufacturer, not only from the authorised distributor, and ensured that the equipment and spare parts would not be discontinued during the 10 years after procurement. The 2024 specifications ask for a certificate guaranteeing a lifespan of at least 10 years among the plant documents, and set other minimums for other products, such as 20 years for medical oxygen cylinders and 25 years for container housing, which may differ from the lifespan of the equipment inside.

UNDP's REQ-OXY-001 (effective 1 January 2025) asks for a minimum life span of 10 years, guaranteed by a letter from the manufacturer, and says spare part kits must be available throughout the plant's lifespan. NHS England's HTM 02-01 (2026) also sets a design life for components: the functions and indicators on a PSA plant's control panels should have a design life of at least five years, and alarm light sources a design life of at least five years of continuous operation. See how long a PSA oxygen plant lasts.