Lotte Chemical will construct pilot plants to manufacture hydrogen tanks for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).
The pilot facilities will be used to evaluate Lotte Chemical’s hydrogen tank manufacturing technology. The corporation has opted to invest in prototype facilities in order to lay the groundwork for a future entry into the hydrogen tank industry.
On the grounds of Lotte Aluminum’s facility in Incheon, the facilities will be finished in the first half of next year. By merging its hydrogen tank R&D capabilities with Lotte Aluminum’s capacity to fabricate parts and process materials, Lotte Chemical hopes to create synergies.
Containers for hydrogen vehicles should be able to sustain pressures of up to 700 bar. In 2017, Lotte Chemical began creating hydrogen storage containers by participating in the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy’s Hydrogen Storage Container Development Project.
For the first time in Korea, Lotte Chemical was able to get dry winding technology. The ability to wrap and stack carbon fibers in an integrated polymer container distinguishes this technique. A high-speed molding process can also be used to mass-produce light-weight hydrogen tanks.
The hydrogen tank developed by Lotte Chemical has passed the basic performance evaluation required for hydrogen electric vehicles, and the business is preparing to secure international certificates from Europe and other nations. The company intends to build hydrogen tanks of various sizes for use in commercial vehicles, drones, and other modes of transportation in the future.
