Voith announces hydrogen storage cooperation with Weifu Hi-Tech
New deal with Chinese auto firm will develop and commercialize Type IV tanks for European, U.S. and Asian business markets.
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”).
Related Content
-
Update: THOR project for industrialized, recyclable thermoplastic composite tanks for hydrogen storage
A look into the tape/liner materials, LATW/recycling processes, design software and new equipment toward commercialization of Type 4.5 tanks.
-
Hexagon Purus opens new U.S. facility to manufacture composite hydrogen tanks
CW attends the opening of Westminster, Maryland, site and shares the company’s history, vision and leading role in H2 storage systems.
-
Drag-based wind turbine design for higher energy capture
Claiming significantly higher power generation capacity than traditional blades, Xenecore aims to scale up its current monocoque, fan-shaped wind blades, made via compression molded carbon fiber/epoxy with I-beam ribs and microsphere structural foam.