[Editor's Note] The 990-bar ultra-high-pressure container is required in quantities of 3 to 6 units per hydrogen charging station to supply 700-bar hydrogen to vehicles. Although this container is essential for the commercialization and infrastructure of hydrogen vehicles, Korea has been entirely dependent on imports. Stringent regulations and test procedures had been a bottleneck. Ether CT successfully achieved domestic localization for the first time in Korea by passing rigorous tests required by the Korea Gas Safety Corporation in August 2022 through two years of product design and molding technology improvements. In response, we met with Lee Dong-hee, Assistant Manager of Ether CT, who participated in H2 MEET, to discuss 990-bar ultra-high-pressure container technology as well as 300-bar and 450-bar high-pressure transportation tube trailers and composite hydrogen skids.

Ether CT is Korea's only ultra-large container specialist manufacturer that has accumulated high-pressure gas container manufacturing technology over 30 years since beginning production of extra-large pressure vessels in 1992. The company supplies high-quality pressure containers to various industrial sectors including hydrogen energy, semiconductor specialty gases, natural gas, and various industrial gas transportation tube trailers and high-pressure storage systems.

The 990-bar container is an essential container required in quantities of 3 to 6 units per hydrogen charging station to supply 700-bar hydrogen to vehicles. To withstand ultra-high pressure, thick metal pipes of 64mm or greater thickness as required by ASME Sec.8 Div.3 KD-10 design standards from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers must be molded to create the container shape. Subsequently, the product is manufactured through a complex process that must meet various test requirements according to KGS AC111 3.8.1 regulations, and globally only two American companies produce this type of container, so Korea has been entirely dependent on imports up to now. Through two years of product design and improvements in heat treatment process and spinning molding technology, Ether CT passed various hydrogen embrittlement tests including low-strain-rate testing and fatigue fracture testing required by the Korea Gas Safety Corporation in August this year and obtained final product approval certificate, successfully achieving domestic localization of 990-bar-class high-pressure hydrogen storage containers with plans for domestic market launch from the first half of next year. Together with the 555-bar medium-pressure container that Ether CT previously developed and has been selling since last year, we anticipate that we will be able to replace over 50% of future new demand with our domestic storage containers.

Pressure containers must be manufactured to comply with design specifications defined by domestic and foreign certification bodies, and are produced through a complex process that must pass all rigorous quality inspections required by those regulations. In particular, for hydrogen transportation and storage containers, the hydrogen embrittlement problem must be solved, where hydrogen penetrates into the steel raw material and causes cracks in the material. Ether CT improved quenching and tempering heat treatment processes to increase the tensile strength of hydrogen containers and realize hydrogen embrittlement resistance, and secured spinning molding technology for thick materials of 64mm or greater by improving the forging process using interval induction heating methods.

Ether CT has been supplying over 99% of domestic demand for 40ft 200-bar hydrogen transportation tube trailers. Following customer feedback demanding more hydrogen charging capacity in less space, we plan to complete development of 20ft 450-bar and 30ft 350-bar tube trailers suitable for urban entry and use at urban charging stations within this year, and we are targeting development of a composite hydrogen trailer capable of transporting over 900kg of hydrogen at once within the next two years.

Ether CT started production of Korea's first high-pressure ultra-large pressure vessels in 1992, and over the 30 years until this year, as Korea's only ultra-large container manufacturer specializing in hydrogen and various gas transportation tube trailers and storage systems, the company changed its name to Ether CT Co., Ltd. in May this year for a new leap forward.

Through continuous technology development, we will fulfill our role as a contributor to customer satisfaction and Korea's hydrogen economy activation roadmap.