China carbon fiber energy storage leg

Is carbon fibre a new strategic material for China?

The company underlines that “as an indispensable new strategic material for China’s economic development and national defence construction, carbon fibre has been in strong demand in wind power generation, aerospace, sports and leisure, and rail transit in recent years.” This tough situation is taken seriously at the national level.

How much carbon fiber does China supply?

For example, Lin reports that global aerospace “application capabilities” — i.e., the prevalence of global carbon fiber supply in a specific end market — are ~22,000 MT while China lags behind at ~7,000 MT. These data are further exemplified by Lin’s breakdown of Chinese carbon fiber volume versus revenue by market (Figs. 2a and 2b).

Can China supply high-quality carbon fibre materials above T700 in bulk?

“At this stage, only a few companies in China, such as Zhongfu Shenying and Weihai Guangwei, can supply high-quality carbon fibre materials above T700 in bulk, and these high-end carbon fibre products have to give priority to meeting military needs”, a senior executive of a domestic hydrogen storage cylinders company said to the newspaper.

What is Zhongfu Shenying doing with carbon fibre?

After completing the deployment of 10,000 tons of carbon fibre in 2019, Zhongfu Shenying launched an R&D and manufacturing project for carbon fibre aviation applications.

Will carbon fiber become China's only supply in 2022?

Since 2022, domestic carbon fiber has become the Chinese market’s dominant supply — and if trends continue, will become China’s only supply in the next couple of years, Lin suggests. Customs data reaffirms this, showing that the export of Chinese carbon fiber is negligible.

What will China's carbon fiber industry look like in the future?

Based on data, Lin says that “production expansion or new construction [of carbon fiber lines], excess production capacity and intense competition” will undoubtedly be the industry’s key challenges in the coming years, not just for China but globally as well.