[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] Hirium Industries (hereinafter Hirium) announced on the 28th that it has completed the development of an ultra-lightweight liquefied hydrogen tank for titanium-based hydrogen drones.
The liquefied hydrogen tank developed by Hirium this time is based on ultra-lightweight titanium material, and has the advantage of being more than 50% lighter than existing metal materials. Recently, demand for aircraft and fuel tanks has been expanding from drones to UAM (Urban Air Mobility) and air taxis, so Hirium's orders are also expected to increase.
Hirium is the only company in Korea capable of producing liquefied hydrogen. It succeeded in commercializing liquefied hydrogen tanks for hydrogen mobility such as drones and has been supplying the world's first liquefied hydrogen drones to the market since 2017. Hirium's hydrogen drones are equipped with liquefied hydrogen-based fuel cell power packs that extend flight time more than 10 times compared to conventional lithium batteries.
While lithium batteries, commonly used in general drones, allow about 20 minutes of flight and gaseous hydrogen about 2 hours, Hirium's liquefied hydrogen drones can fly for more than 4 hours, attracting attention.
A company official explained, “In mobility, converting gas into liquid allows securing more energy and reducing the volume and weight of fuel tanks, enabling the highest performance, so the need for liquefied hydrogen drones is increasing. Currently, Hirium is expanding its market share in the drone market based on its unique liquefied hydrogen-related technology, and through this product development, it is expected to further strengthen its market competitiveness.”
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