Hyosung Advanced Materials to Build Additional Carbon Fiber Production Facility
Source:Hyosung  February 14, 2019
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Hyosung Advanced Materials will build an additional carbon fiber production facility at its Jeonju Plant in Jeollabuk-do Province by investing KRW 46.8 billion. The additional line to the existing site will increase the annual production capacity from 2,000 tons to 4,000 tons with the aim of completion by 2020.


This expansion is part of efforts to prepare for increasing demand for carbon fiber, which is not only a core material for hydrogen and CNG vehicles, which are receiving attention as future eco-friendly automobiles, and reducing the weight of wire core materials but also an advanced material for future industries including aviation.

Carbon fiber is used to make hydrogen fuel tanks and CNG (compressed natural gas) high-pressure vessels, which are key components of hydrogen cars. By 2030, hydrogen fuel tanks and CNG high-pressure vessels are expected to grow 120 times and more than four times, respectively.

Hyosung has been supplying carbon fiber for CNG high-pressure vessels of city buses since 2015. The CNG high-pressure vessel made of carbon fiber is safe because its higher tensile strength than that of a steel vessel minimizes the risk of explosion and is also environmentally friendly as it is twice lighter. In particular, for hydrogen cars whose weight reduction is essential, carbon-fiber pressure vessels are a mandatory requirement.

Not long after Hyosung began developing carbon fiber in 2007, it became the first Korean company to succeed in self-developing high-performance carbon fiber TANSOME® in 2011. Hyosung has produced carbon fibers at the Jeonju Plant in the eco-friendly industrial complex in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Province since May 2013.

Carbon fiber is called a “dream” material as it is four times lighter than steel but 10 times as strong. It is used for various purposes as a substitute for steel, including CNG high-pressure vessels for fuel, automobile structural materials, wind power, aerospace materials, and sports leisure products. In addition, with its market rapidly growing at a rate of over 13 percent annually, carbon fiber is attracting attention as a future advanced material thanks to its growth potential and high entry barriers.