Hydrogen mobility needs storage vessels that can withstand extreme pressure while remaining as light as possible. But there is another challenge: what happens to the high-value composite materials once a tank reaches the end of its life?

SCMM is addressing both questions through a new generation of recyclable Type IV hydrogen tanks. The approach combines recyclable resin systems with advanced composite manufacturing, including robotic filament winding, to build lightweight pressure vessels while maintaining precise control over fibre placement and impregnation. The development pathway extends from material-scale qualification to 11-litre and 62-litre vessels. 

The project has already demonstrated the manufacture of recyclable 11- and 62-litre tanks and explored different resin and processing routes. Just as importantly, recycling is considered from the outset. A first closed-loop trial has demonstrated that continuous carbon fibres can be recovered and reintegrated into manufacturing rather than losing their value at end of life. 

The result is a pathway towards hydrogen storage in which performance, manufacturing and end-of-life recovery are designed together, reducing composite waste while preserving valuable carbon fibres for future applications.