Toray Leads Dutch Consortium to Build Lightweight Composite Liquid Hydrogen Tank for Aviation

Toray Advanced Composites, together with a coalition of industry and academic partners, has secured funding from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy’s Research and Development for Mobility to develop a durable, all‑composite liquid hydrogen tank for civil aircraft.

The European Commission has earmarked hydrogen as a cornerstone of the European Green Deal, and transitioning from traditional metallic tanks to composite construction promises significant weight reductions. These savings translate into lower fuel consumption, a reduced carbon footprint for air travel, and extended flight ranges for aircraft fleets.

The cross‑sector research will deliver a lightweight composite tank capable of withstanding the cryogenic temperature of liquid hydrogen—down to –253 °C. The project focuses on advanced composite manufacturing, digital design strategies, and scalable production techniques.

The consortium comprises 13 partners spanning academia and industry: Aircraft Development and Systems Engineering (ADSE), Airborne, Bold Findings, Cryoworld, GKN Aerospace’s Fokker business, IT’S Engineering, Kok & Van Engelen Composite Structures (KVE), NLR, PhotonFirst Technologies, Somni Solutions, TANIQ, Technical University Delft, and SAM|XL.

Frank Meurs, Managing Director of Toray Advanced Composites, said, “We are delighted to receive this funding. By uniting the finest Dutch industries and institutes in a unique consortium, we will accelerate the integration of hydrogen technology into aerospace as a sustainable fuel source for the future. This project underscores the supply‑chain commitment to advancing sustainable propulsion technologies and aligns with the major aircraft and engine manufacturers.”

KVE is globally recognized for its inductive assembly of carbon‑fiber‑reinforced thermoplastic composites, especially in aerospace. KVE’s Induct technology is used in the welded assembly of the Gulfstream G650 and Dassault Falcon 6X rudders and elevators (licensed by Fokker Aerostructures) and in the fuel‑tank access panels for the Airbus A220 (licensed by Aviacomp in France). These applications all employ Toray materials. KVE has already validated the assembly method for cryogenic environments with a major oil & gas company, demonstrating that thermoplastics offer superior toughness and resistance to microcracking—advantages that persist through the welding process, according to Toray.