Hexagon Lincoln leads joint venture for hydrogen technology in Japan

Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Toray Industries, Inc., and Hexagon Lincoln Inc., a subsidiary of Hexagon Composites

ASA, entered into a joint development agreement to conduct a business viability study of a proposed

joint venture to manufacture and sell carbon fiber reinforced high-pressure hydrogen cylinders for

vehicles in Japan.

The aim of the initiative is to manufacture high-pressure hydrogen carbon fiber cylinders for fuel cell

vehicles in the Japanese market, which is world-leading in the transition to a hydrogen-based society.

The plan would integrate and leverage the high-pressure cylinder manufacturing technology of Hexagon

Composites, the comprehensive capabilities of Mitsui, including its customer assets and marketing

know-how, and the capacity of Toray to supply competitive, high-quality carbon fiber and develop new

technologies.

Action to tackle global warming has become an urgent international priority. The development of lighter

parts and materials to reduce energy consumption by transportation equipment, especially in motor

vehicles, is seen as an important approach to the solution of this problem. The market for lightweight

materials, such as carbon fiber, is expected to expand rapidly.

Hexagon Lincoln has as a track record in mass-production of composite cylinders for use in a wide range

of natural gas vehicles, as well as for gas transportation and storage. Capitalizing on that mass-

production track record, Hexagon Lincoln has developed high-pressure hydrogen cylinders as functional

components for fuel cell vehicles, which are fueled by hydrogen and produce no harmful emissions

when operating. With Japanese motor vehicle manufacturers planning to mass-produce tens of

thousands of fuel cell vehicles by the time of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, the market for high-pressure

hydrogen cylinders as key components for these vehicles is expected to expand.

NGS INDIA