Fraunhofer IFAM Advances COOLtank Platform for Automated Type 5 Composite Hydrogen Tank Manufacturing
BY Composights
Published: 19 Jun 2026
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Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) is advancing the COOLtank project, a research platform focused on automated manufacturing of advanced composite hydrogen storage systems, with a primary emphasis on Type 5 hydrogen pressure vessels made almost entirely from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic.
Type 5 tanks are designed without a metallic liner, enabling significant weight savings and improved leak-tightness while relying entirely on composite structures for hydrogen containment. These characteristics make them a key development area for next-generation hydrogen mobility applications requiring ultra-lightweight and high-pressure storage solutions.
The CooLTank project, formally titled Customizable, automated Research Platform for Machining, Assembly and Barrier Coating of Liquid Hydrogen Tanks, is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) and initiated by Fraunhofer IFAM as part of the H2AM (Hanseatic Hydrogen Center for Aviation and Maritime) initiative.
A key element of the project involves establishing automated manufacturing capabilities for large-dimension carbon fiber reinforced plastic components. In Stade, a dedicated sub-plant is being developed to specialize in high-precision robotic machining of composite structures, targeting manufacturing tolerances of 0.2 mm to ensure dimensional accuracy and quality consistency for hydrogen tank applications.
The platform integrates advanced machining, assembly, and barrier coating processes designed to support scalable production of hydrogen storage systems while maintaining strict performance and safety requirements for aerospace, maritime, and mobility applications.
The objective of COOLtank is to produce composite tank components that meet the demanding specifications required for high-pressure hydrogen storage, while improving automation, repeatability, and industrial scalability of Type 5 composite tank manufacturing.
The development reflects growing European focus on automated composite hydrogen storage technologies, where lightweight carbon fiber structures and precision manufacturing systems are becoming central to future hydrogen energy and mobility infrastructure.
Source: IFAM | Magzine
