Hexagon Purus opens new composite H2 cylinder manufacturing hub in Kassel, Germany

Hexagon Purus (Oslo, Norway), manufacturer of zero-emission mobility and hydrogen (H₂) infrastructure solutions, has opened its new H₂ cylinder manufacturing hub in Kassel, Germany. This is Hexagon Purus’ third opening of a new manufacturing facility this year, following the successful openings of the facility for battery systems in Kelowna, Canada, in April 2023 and the H₂ cylinder manufacturing facility in Westminster, Md., U.S. in January 2023.

The new 83,000-square-foot state-of-the art facility in Kassel can support annual production of more than 40,000 Type IV high-pressure H₂ cylinders for fuel cell electric mobility and H₂ infrastructure applications. These filament-wound carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite pressure vessels deliver lightweight storage of gaseous H₂ compressed to 700 bar. 

The facility will employ up to 300 skilled workers and significantly increase Hexagon Purus’ current H₂ cylinder manufacturing capacity to help meet growing demand. In July, the company received an order for a mobile 700-bar H₂ refueling station (HRS) and secured a five-year framework agreement with a global energy company to deliver H₂ distribution systems. Both systems use the company’s Type IV CFRP tanks.

The current footprint of the facility also enables further expansion since the building can accommodate additional production lines as demand for H₂ storage applications continues to grow.

“This will play a central role in further developing Hexagon Purus as a world-class manufacturer of safe and reliable H₂ cylinders. With this facility, we have the necessary capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand for our H₂ infrastructure and mobility applications,” says Michael Kleschinski, EVP at Hexagon Purus. “We believe the demand for our offerings will continue to increase, and we now have the footprint to support future customer growth.”

With the opening of the new H₂ cylinder manufacturing hub in Kassel, Hexagon Purus is relocating its current H₂ cylinder manufacturing from its former site in Kassel that was shared with Hexagon Composites, which manufactures Type IV pressure vessels for compressed natural gas (CNG) and renewable natural gas (RNG) storage, a market that also continues to grow.