Hydrogen storage tanks will drive a surge in demand for hydrogen sensors

In the hydrogen energy supply chain, hydrogen storage tanks play a very important role. The main reason is that the vehicle-mounted hydrogen storage tank must meet strict safety requirements on the one hand, and on the other hand, it must be able to carry high-density and high-efficiency liquid hydrogen fuel. Carbon fiber composite materials are regarded as the most suitable material and are technically very attractive. Challenging, there are currently only a handful of manufacturers that can ship in large quantities.
However, the market for hydrogen storage tanks is not limited to general vehicles. There is a need for hydrogen refueling stations and other markets such as tube trailers for distribution. Hydrogen vehicles have been mass-produced by Toyota and Hyundai Motors for many years, but sales have been very low, giving the impression that demand for hydrogen storage tanks is sluggish. However, in recent years, regulations have required heavy vehicle manufacturers to reduce the carbon emissions of the vehicles they produce by 30% on average by 2030 compared with 2019.
According to estimates by hydrogen storage tank manufacturer NPROXX, the proportion of European trucks forced to switch to hydrogen power may be as high as 5%, which means that 15,000-20,000 hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks need to be produced every year, and will gradually grow. Since each heavy vehicle needs to be equipped with five to seven hydrogen storage tanks, 100,000 hydrogen storage tanks are needed every year. By 2025, the market for hydrogen storage tanks could approach half a million carbon fiber composite tanks. Another research report predicts that the global high-pressure hydrogen storage bottle market will be US$52 million in 2021, and is expected to reach US$208 million in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 32%; about a quarter of which will be containers and vehicles for transporting hydrogen. Three quarters are the vehicle's fuel tank. Each supplier and market research company has different perspectives and predictions on the prospects of hydrogen storage tanks, but they are very optimistic about its growth and actively invest in development and production.
At present, the main suppliers of automotive high-pressure hydrogen storage bottles include Luxfer from the UK, ILJIN from South Korea, Quantum and Hexagon from the United States, etc.

Regardless of the combination of hydrogen storage tanks, whether they are vehicle fuel tanks , hydrogen storage tube trailers , or fixed hydrogen storage tanks, hydrogen leakage detection is required. Car manufacturers usually choose their own hydrogen leak detection solutions, and hydrogen storage tank suppliers only provide tanks. In terms of hydrogen storage tube trailers or fixed hydrogen storage tanks, since the supplier of hydrogen storage tanks does not specialize in sensors, the situation is similar to the trend of hydrogen electrolyzes, and there will be a tendency to use products from hydrogen sensor suppliers that comply with vehicle regulations. .


References
 

• Kitakyushu City Government, Kitakyushu Hydrogen Certification Project (provided by Kitakyushu Hydrogen Certification System)

• Energy-Forum on-line, 2022-03-22, The new コスモス electric motor industry standard hydrogen detection alarm device FCV is being popularized in factories

• Toyota, 2024-02-05, Chiyoda Corporation and Toyota Jointly Developing Large-scale Electrolysis System

• Hyundai, 2024-01-10, Hyundai Motor Exhibition at CES 2024 Envisions Transition to Hydrogen Energy and Software-Defined Mobility Solutions
• Bosch, New area of business: Bosch to develop components for hydrogen electrolysis

• TI, Sandeep Tallada, 2019-08, Basic considerations for sensors in the powertrain