VODÍK
From Vítkovice
to the Whole World
Mr. Jan Světlík and Cylinders Holding are known in the region as promoters of new technologies,
especially the hydrogen technologies. Cylinders Holding is one of the few companies that produce
real hydrogen technology. However, it is not just about hydrogen technologies. We asked Mr. Svetlik
for an interview, which we have presented below.
Mr. Světlík, what activities are currently the most
important for Cylinders Holding?
Cylinders Holding, including its manufacturing
companies, is a world leader in the production of
seamless extruded steel cylinders. In order to maintain
our position, it is necessary not only to produce
and sell top quality cylinders, but also to invest in
the development of new types of cylinders, new
product applications, to follow the latest trends, and
also fight unfair competition, especially from China.
But let's take it one step at a time. As far as our existing
customers are concerned, the most important thing for
us is to supply our customers on time and in top quality
with a product that is first and foremost safe, reliable with
an extremely long service life. We must remember that
our cylinders are designed for pressures from 100 to
1000 bar, i.e. approximately 100 to 1000 times higher
than normal atmospheric pressure. That is why we are
so concerned about unfair imports of often dangerous
products or semi-finished products from China or old
steel cylinders that are used inappropriately. These
products endanger people's lives and safety not only
directly (for example, by causing accidents of all kinds),
but also indirectly. For example, imported cylinders
from China contain large amounts of impurities and
various chemicals and are subsequently used for food
or even medical purposes.
“
We have responded to this negative
trend by offering our customers super
clean cylinders that they can safely
use for food and medical applications,
fo example.
”
42 ǀ POSITIV HYDROGEN
Looking at the problem from a positive point of view,
we have responded to this negative trend by offering
our customers super clean cylinders that they can
safely use for food and medical applications.
Are there any truly topical and interesting topics
for the future?
What has occupied us most recently, however, is
hydrogen and its expanding applications, particularly
in the transport and energy sectors. It has to be said
that we are a bit ahead of our time and for several years
now we have been offering and supplying customers
with solutions for hydrogen storage and transport
that our competitors were not able to provide until
recently. Even our latest so-called smart products are
market leaders and will enable a faster take-off of, for
example, hydrogen mobility not only in Europe. Since
our customers are not only from EU countries, as we
supply more than 100 countries worldwide, we are
seeing an increase of interest in hydrogen technology
and in other parts of the world as well. For example, in
the USA, South America, Asia and Australia. It has to
be said that, unfortunately, Europe is cutting its own
throat with its excessive regulation and conditions for
the production of so-called sustainable hydrogen, and
other parts of the world are beginning to overtake us.
is now a priority for us.
“WithHydrogen
the development of hydrogen
technology and the demands
of our customers, we have two new
hydrogen innovations.
”
There are a lot of myths about hydrogen, and
since it is a relatively new trend, people can often
have unnecessary fear and concerns about these
innovations. That's why, for example, I have recorded
a series of podcasts with Euro Weekly to debunk these
myths and fears and to present the real features and
positives of this medium of the future. We are sorry
that hydrogen is mostly talked about in the Czech
Republic, but you can count the companies that
are really living with hydrogen technologies on
the fingers of one hand and it is even worse with the
implemented hydrogen projects in the transport or
energy sector, for example.