Hyosung expands production of carbon fibers for hydrogen tanks

17. June 2022 The Advanced Materials division of the South Korean Hyosung Group is expanding the production of carbon fibers. To this end, a third production line is being built to meet the increasing demand for the material in the manufacture of hydrogen tanks. In March 2022, Hyosung announced plans to invest the equivalent of $39 million in total to expand production capacity at its Jeonju plant from the current 2,500 tons to 9,000 tons. The company already invested in the expansion of the Jeonju production facility in 2020 and 2021. According to its own information, Hyosung is the only Korean company that can produce high-strength carbon fibers for industrial purposes, including gas and hydrogen tanks for vehicles. It began in 2011 with the development of the “Tansome” material made from carbon fibers, followed by series production in 2013. Hyosung plans to invest the equivalent of around $800 million in expanding the annual production volume of carbon fibers to 24,000 tons by 2028. If the plan is implemented by 2028, Hyosung would become the world’s third-largest producer of carbon fiber, accounting for about 10 percent of the global market, the company said. Gas tanks, pressure vessels and similar product categories need KGS factory approval in order to enter and be used on the Korean market.     The Korea Gas Safety Corporation (KGS) is a government organization under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). Gas safety regulations in Korea began in 1974 with the passage of the Compressed Gas Control Act. In 1995, the Institute of High Pressure Gas Safety was established, and after several restructurings, the Korea Gas Safety Corporation (KGS) was established in 2001. One year later, KGS was affiliated with MOTIE. KGS was accredited as a Korean designated testing body in 2006 and was also accredited to perform KCs certification and testing of explosion-proof electrical equipment. We offer certification services for all product areas, including KC certification for consumer products and especially electronics, KC EMC certification for electronic products, and KCs certification for machinery, as well as KCs for explosion safety products. We are available to answer any questions you may have about Korea certifications. Tel. Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261 Tel. US: +1 773 654-2673 Email: info@korea-certification.com Urgent questions? Please do not hesitate to contact us via chat. You will find the chat window at the bottom right of each page (if this is not visible, please check your browser settings). For more information you can download our free brochure “Korea Certification Made Easy – The Booklet“.