From Vítkovice to the Whole World

HYDROGEN

Can you reveal your plans for expanding

your operations into international

markets? Which countries or regions are

most interesting for you at the moment?

As I mentioned above, Cylinders Holding

exports to over 100 countries worldwide.

There are markets that are interesting

in terms of hydrogen, markets that are

interesting in terms of industrial gases or

welding gases. And there are markets that

are interesting in many other areas, and

here we are trying to push those markets

more. It is no secret that we already have

offices within the EU, the UK and the

UAE. This April we opened a new office

in the state of Georgia in the USA, where

we have been operating for more than 20

years, and where we also see great potential

for growth. We are also interested in other

markets such as Australia and India.

What are the main challenges you face

when entering foreign markets? Are you

managing to overcome these challenges?

Entering foreign markets is never easy,

you have to get to know the local

mentality, the way the legal or banking

system works, what the barriers to

business are, and most importantly, you

have to be physically present in the new

market. You must be in personal contact

with potential customers. The idea that

in today's globalised world you can

dominate a market over the internet

and through social media is naive in the

products we make and sell. It may work

in the entertainment industry or the sale

of electronic media and services, but

if you have a product like we do, you

simply have to win your markets with

your physical presence, while respecting

the specifics of each individual market.

Mastering quality management is a

difficult task for any company. How

is the quality control of your products

carried out? Does Cylinders Holding have

any method of their own to improve the

quality of their products and services?

Quality Management is an important

success factor in our company. That is

why our bottles are 100% checked by

several different methods in accordance

with international standards. Testing

facilities are gradually being upgraded,

the most recent being hydraulic pressure

testing at two of our plants. We also have

a pneumatic testing facility for the tank

area, especially hydrogen tanks. In a short

period of time, a new cyclic test facility

will be commissioned to simulate cylinder

loads in real operation.

Your MEGC hydrogen container

is certified for both national and

international road and rail transport.

What are the main advantages of this

and what makes it unique in transport?

Hydrogen is now a priority for us. With

the development of hydrogen technology

and the demands of our customers, we

have two new hydrogen innovations. The

first is a hydrogen traveller for transporting

up to 500 kg of compressed hydrogen

gas. At first glance, this quantity is not

overwhelming, but we have to remember

that currently we transport significantly less,

i.e. about 350 kg. Thanks to innovations in

our cylinders, we have managed to achieve

this quantity while meeting all technical

and safety limits.

The second innovation is the smart SMART

hydrogen storage tanks. These are tanks

that have a degree of autonomy in them;

we can control and monitor them remotely.

In addition, we have prepared superior

control and logistics software that helps in

monitoring the entire hydrogen system so

that the hydrogen is in the right place at the

right time and in sufficient quantity.

Can you list some of the other

certifications or accreditations that

Cylinders Holding obtains? Can you tell

us how they contribute to strengthening

your position in the market?

Yes, of course. For example, there is

the newly acquired ASME Certification

for stationary high pressure solutions for

the US market. We also have the new KGS

- South Korea Certification, which allows

us to supply hydrogen pressure tanks to

the Asian markets. We also have a number

of other certifications that are important

factors for supplying European and nonEuropean markets. Our customers can

find a complete list on our website. We

also hold certifications for the automotive

industry, for example, and we are now

seeking certification for the US aerospace

industry.

Everybody knows us and knows that we

can develop and manufacture almost

any steel pressure vessel above 100 bar.

This is still true. But we are also looking

ahead and developing cylinders and

reservoirs with groundbreaking design

innovations such as automotive cylinders

with an internal neck, cylinders made of

better steels and cascade reservoirs with

the ability to significantly save energy and

time during filling and draining.

We are also innovating our production

technologies. Automation is now standard

for us and we also are moving forward and

introducing Artificial Intelligence.

Do you have any examples of projects

or situations where certifications were

a key factor in determining success?

Definitely, for example, in the US,

Korean or Indian markets, you cannot

do business without their specific local

certification, and it is the first thing

customers ask about. For example,

projects for the automotive or aerospace

industry cannot be considered at all

without proper certification and the

customer will not communicate with you

at all. As the classic says, certification

is a condition that is necessary but not

sufficient. It is a kind of ticket to the club,

but it does not guarantee your success.

You always have to work hard for it.

Mr. Světlík, thank you for the interview.