Towpreg-wound high-pressure hydrogen tanks on display at JEC World 2023. Source | CW

Several news sources have revealed that Voith Group (Garching bei München, Germany) has inked a new deal with Wuxi Weifu Hi-Tech (Jiangsui, China), a subsidiary of Wuxi Industrial Group and automotive component manufacture. The strategic cooperation agreement aims to develop and commercialize large-scale production of Type IV high-pressure hydrogen storage systems.

According to hydrogenwire.com, the two companies are establishing joint ventures in Germany and Wuxi, China, with a €120 million investment to cover the European, U.S. and Asian business markets. By harnessing advanced materials and engineering techniques, Voith Group and Weifu aim to develop cutting-edge storage cylinders capable of withstanding pressures of up to 70 MPa, thereby enabling widespread adoption across various sectors including transportation, electric power and industrial applications.

Voith Group’s Voith Composites has a deep history of high-tech carbon fiber composite manufacturing and development. In December 2023, the company certified its towpreg-wound Carbon4Tank for on-road use. Voith has also focused on technologies and partnerships to enable its high-pressure carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) tanks to be recycled at the end of their 15-year lifespans (read, “Recycling hydrogen tanks to produce automotive structural components”).