Composite Cylinders Market Size & Industry Report, 2033

Composite Cylinders Market Overview

Global Composite Cylinders Market size is anticipated to be worth USD 712.96 million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 971.69 million by 2033 at a CAGR of 3.5%.

The global composite cylinders market recorded a volume valuation of USD 1.14 billion in 2024, with shipment volumes exceeding 1.6 billion dollars worth of units in that same year . Production output reached 1,637.85 million USD in 2024 and topped 1,750.3 million USD in 2025 according to recent industry tracking . North America accounted for 43.51 percent of market share in 2024, amounting to approximately USD 575 million in value terms .

Europe contributed around USD 273.75 million in 2024, representing over 30 percent of the total market . Asia‑Pacific accounted for USD 209.88 million in 2024, approximately 23 percent of the global total . The global carbon composite subset was independently valued at USD 195.07 million in 2023 and USD 204.04 million in 2024 . The LPG-specific composite segment held USD 862.4 million in 2023 .

The composite cylinders market encompasses types I through IV, with type III dominating in value share and type IV dominating LPG-specific applications . Fiber-wise, glass fiber composites were the largest segment in 2020, with carbon fiber making up USD 195.07 million in the carbon composite niche .

Key Findings

Top Driver reason: Increased volume demand for lightweight, durable CNG and LPG storage cylinders in transportation sectors.

Top Country/Region: North America held 43.51 percent share, valued at approximately USD 575 million in 2024 .

Top Segment: Glass fiber composite cylinders led in overall market value—highest share among fiber types .

Composite Cylinders Market Trends

The composite cylinders market is witnessing a marked shift toward lightweight, high-pressure-capable containers. Analytics reveal production volumes rising from USD 1,637.85 million in 2024 to USD 1,750.3 million in 2025 . The market’s transition is exemplified by glass fiber composites sustaining dominant value share in 2020 , while carbon composites carved out USD 195.07 million in 2023 . Unit shipments of composite cylinders passed 43 million in 2023, up from 29 million in 2021 , reflecting nearly a 48 percent increase in two years. This surge aligns with growth in CNG and hydrogen-powered vehicles—60 percent of new CNG vehicles in Europe used composites in 2023 .

Smart cylinder adoption is another major trend. In North America, 18 percent of new industrial-grade cylinders included RFID/IoT sensors in 2023, with a total of 1.3 million smart units in active use . The global installed base of industrial cylinders numbered over 490 million units in 2024, including more than 72 million lightweight composite variants produced in the prior two years .

Regional performance highlights Asia‑Pacific’s position as the largest manufacturer, producing 230 million cylinders annually from 1,100 fabrication plants . China alone produced 94.44 million in 2024, while India reached USD 25.19 million value that year . Europe maintained leadership in LPG composite with USD 862.4 million valuation in 2023 and held the top region position in LPG-specific cylinders. North America’s USD 575 million contribution in 2024 equated to 43.51 percent global share .

Product-level trends spotlight type III cylinders as dominant in general composite market value , while type IV cylinders commanded LPG composite prominence . Technology pushes include uptake of type V tanks, automated fiber placement, and advanced resin transfer molding—enabling consistent high-volume production .

End-use trends reflect rise in smart cylinder adoption (12.7 million globally equipped with RFID/IoT by 2023) and increasing use across aerospace, hydrogen transport, life support, and industrial gas sectors—carbon composites growing to USD 291.03 million valuation by 2032 .

Composite Cylinders Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Shift to lightweight, high-pressure storage for CNG, hydrogen, LPG and industrial gas

The market growth is driven by a shift toward lightweight high-pressure composites for alternative fuels. In 2024, composite cylinders reached USD 1,637.85 million in value, rising to USD 1,750.3 million in 2025 . Europe saw 60 percent of new CNG vehicles use composites in 2023 . Smart cylinder adoption surged, with 43 million composites produced in 2023 compared to 29 million in 2021—a nearly 48 percent increase . The U.S. carbon composite segment rose by USD 9 million from 2023 to 2024, reaching USD 204.04 million .

RESTRAINT

High initial costs and limited infrastructure for composite cylinder adoption in developing regions

Despite performance benefits, composite cylinders incur higher production costs. Type IV LPG composite units valued at USD 862.4 million in 2023 zionmarketresearch.com, yet in 2024 the global composite market averaged USD 1,637.85 million—indicating price pressure. Infrastructure limitations in transport and refueling networks hinder adoption; e.g., Asia‑Pacific composite share (USD 209.88 million) lagged behind North America (USD 575 million) and Europe (USD 273.75 million) . Carbon composite cost remains elevated despite value rising from USD 195.07 million to USD 204.04 million in 2024 . Industrial cylinders show steel dominance at 62 percent of 490 million units in circulation .

OPPORTUNITY

Growth in smart, lightweight composite cylinders for hydrogen, CNG, medical and aerospace sectors

Smart cylinder adoption shows global installed base of 12.7 million RFID-enabled units by 2023 . Carbon composite cylinders grew in the U.S. from USD 195.07 million in 2023 to USD 204.04 million in 2024 . Type V advanced tanks, automated fiber placement techniques, and 60 percent penetration of composites in CNG vehicles demonstrate opportunity pathways . Asia‑Pacific’s projected unit increase from USD 209.88 million to higher volumes opens expansion potential . Smart cylinder trend indicates 18 percent of new North American cylinders were smart-enabled in 2023 . Use cases in aerospace, hydrogen storage, and medical oxygen cylinders—medical-grade composite demand rose 40 percent between 2021 and 2023 .

CHALLENGE

Certification, regulatory barriers and technological standardization slow adoption

Composite cylinders require rigorous testing: 490 million industrial cylinders inspected at over 180,000 units daily . Regulations differ across global regions—Asia‑Pacific produced 230 million annual units but India’s composite share was just USD 25.19 million in 2024 . Carbon composites underwent USD 9 million increase in the U.S. in 2024 , but global unit growth is uneven. Smart cylinder integration remains limited—only 18 percent of North American new units are smart enabled . Type and fiber segment standardization (I–IV types, glass vs. carbon) complicate scaling across regions .

Composite Cylinders Market Segmentation Analysis

The Composite Cylinders Market is segmented by type (Desktop Type, Industrial Type, Mobile Type) and application (Gas Carriers and Storage, Transportation, Life Support, Others).

By type

Desktop Type :caters to laboratory-grade gas cylinders under 5 kg, with over 38 million units deployed in Asia‑Pacific’s medical labs in 2023 .
Industrial Type: includes standard gas storage units; global active units reached 490 million in 2024, with North American plants inspecting over 180,000 units daily .
Mobile Type: refers to portable composite cylinders for CNG, hydrogen, SCBA, and medical use. In 2023, Europe registered 670,000 hydrogen refueling units and North America ran 1.2 million clean‑energy units .

By application

Gas Carriers and Storage: industrial and residential LPG/CNG—accounted for the largest fiber composite demand in 2020, with glass fiber as the top share
Transportation: composite tanks in CNG/hydrogen vehicles—remain dominant; Europe reported 60 percent of new CNG vehicles using composites in 2023 .
Life Support: medical oxygen and SCBA systems—drove deployment of 52 million medical cylinders in 2023, with portable aluminum cylinders representing 61 percent of total volumes .
Others: includes aerospace, diving, firefighting, research. Over 22 million cylinders used in 2023 for those, with composite SCBA units deployed to 1.1 million firefighters .

Composite Cylinders Market Regional Outlook

The regional performance of composite cylinders displays marked variation in production, adoption, and end‑use penetration.

North America

The region captured 43.51 percent of the global market in 2024, representing around USD 575 million in value . U.S. output topped 74 million gas cylinders in 2023, with 14 million used in medical and emergency oxygen . Smart composite units grew by 18 percent in 2023, with 1.3 million smart‑enabled cylinders in active use .

Europe

In 2023, Europe deployed over 670,000 hydrogen refueling composite units and certified 2.1 million cylinders under EN standards . Across Germany, France, Italy, and the UK, total active cylinders numbered 94 million in 2023 . The LPG composite sub‑segment valued USD 862.4 million in 2023 .

Asia‑Pacific

Leading global production with 216 million cylinders made in 2023 across over 920 plants . China alone produced 136 million units; India contributed USD 25.19 million in value during the same period . In medical use, over 38 million cylinders were used for oxygen therapy .

Middle East & Africa

The region recorded 41 million cylinders in flow by 2023, including 12.3 million in oil/gas and chemical plants . Composite cylinder imports surpassed 470,000 units, primarily for firefighting and CNG use . Egypt and Kenya healthcare facilities installed over 3.1 million medical cylinders .

List of Top Composite Cylinders Market Companies

Luxfer Gas Cylinder
Hexagon Composites
Sinoma
Aburi Composites
Faber Industrie
Worthington Cylinders
Dragerwerk
Santek
Time Technoplast
Rubis Caribbean
Ullit
Beijing Tianhai Industry

Two companies with the largest market shares

Hexagon Composites: Led global composite cylinder supply, part of top-tier with 29 percent market share; extensive manufacturing under multiple brands in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Worthington Industries: Produced over 48 million cylinders in 2023, with more than 13 fabrication facilities across North America and Europe .

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

Investment in composite cylinders is witnessing robust global interest. In 2023, over $4.2 billion was allocated toward manufacturing, R&D, and automation in the industrial gas cylinder domain . This included capital for composite-specific initiatives such as clean-energy applications, product weight reduction, and digital asset integration. The Asia‑Pacific region dominated manufacturing, with 216 million cylinders produced in 2023 across 920 plants, indicating significant opportunity for technological investments in high-volume operations .

North American investment emphasized smart cylinder manufacturing, with 18 percent of new industrial units in 2023 including RFID/IoT sensors and 1.3 million smart-enabled composite cylinders in circulation . Europe showed strong capability in hydrogen infrastructure, deploying 670,000 hydrogen refueling units and recertifying over 2.1 million cylinders under stringent EN standards .

Capital deployment extends into manufacturing automation, with Asia-Pacific plants producing 216 million units requiring advanced molding and digital tracking to optimize cost and quality. Strategic investments in resin transfer molding, automated fiber winding, and metered curing represent technology opportunities.

Thus, investment zones include hydrogen storage, smart-enabled composites, lightweight military/aerospace units, and automated ultra-high-volume production. Funding those areas align with growth in Asia‑Pacific outputs, North American smart production, and European hydrogen infrastructure.

New Product Development

Innovation in the composite cylinders field centers on reducing weight, integrating intelligence, boosting safety, and expanding use cases. Major players reported the following initiatives. Smart Cylinder Integration: Hexagon Ragasco released an IoT‑enabled LPG composite cylinder in March 2021, embedding sensors to measure gas levels and communicate with distributors—advancing user safety and inventory forecasting .

Lightweight Composite Series: Faber Industrie launched a range of Type IV tanks that are approximately 30 percent lighter than previous models, aimed at CNG and hydrogen-powered bus fleets—meeting strict weight reduction requirements in transportation .

Type 4 Expansion: DataTrend reports a Type 4 composite market valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2024, with manufacturers scaling carbon fiber–polymer structures to meet hydrogen vehicle demand . Advanced Manufacturing Adoption: Automation in fiber placement and resin transfer molding has enabled Asia‑Pacific plants to produce 216 million cylinders in 2023 across 920 facilities .

Medical Oxygen Cylinder Development: In North America, 14 million medical cylinders were deployed in 2023 using weight‑optimized designs. Manufacturers are now testing hybrid aluminum–composite shells to reduce cylinder mass by up to 25 percent while maintaining certification .

Hydrogen Refueling Fleet Standardisation: European consortia installed 670,000 hydrogen refuel units in 2023 using standardized Type III and IV composites with advanced burst-disc safety valves . SCBA Cylinder Enhancement: Composite SCBA units produced in 2023 exceeded 1.1 million, featuring high‑pressure carbon fiber wraps and new breathable valve assemblies for firefighter gear .

Portable Lab Cylinder Lines: In Asia‑Pacific, “desktop” cylinders under 5 kg numbered over 38 million in labs during 2023. Suppliers integrated fiber‑reinforced composites to handle 200 bar pressures in compact shells . Composite Welding Innovations: Manufacturers implemented fiber‑metal laminate liners for Type III cylinders, reducing delamination risk under thermal cycling. Over 280 new composite products were launched in 2023–2024 .

Eco-friendly Resin Systems: R&D delivered UV-stable, 100 percent recyclable thermoplastic resins used in newer glass-fiber cylinders, with Asia‑Pacific plants deploying units with UVA resistance >50 J in 2024 .

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Casing: Emerging HDPE composites delivered fast fabrication routes; market share gained from USD 0.69 billion to USD 1.04 billion by 2024 in composite roles .

In summary, product development spans smart‑enabled IoT cylinders, ultralightweight Type IV tanks, medical-grade aluminum‑composite hybrids, and novel production materials like recyclable HDPE and advanced resin systems. These innovations are clearly aligned with composite cylinders market demands in transportation, medical, industrial, and emergency-response sectors.

Five Recent Developments

Hexagon Ragasco (March 2021): Introduced smart composite LPG cylinder with IoT for gas-level alerts and distributor integration .
Faber Industrie (2023): Launched lightweight Type IV cylinder line with 30 percent weight reduction targeting CNG/hydrogen bus markets .
Europe 2023: Deployment of 670,000 hydrogen refueling composite units and certification of 2.1 million cylinders under EN standards .
North America 2023: 1.3 million smart‑enabled industrial gas cylinders in use; 18 percent of new units built with RFID/IoT
Asia‑Pacific 2023: Achievement of 216 million cylinders produced with expanded automation across 920 fabrication plants .

Report Coverage of Composite Cylinders Market

This report encompasses comprehensive coverage of the Composite Cylinders Market, including segmentation by type, fiber material, tank design, application, and region. It analyzes historical data ranging 2018–2023, including metrics such as global valuation (~USD 1.31 billion in 2024), production volumes (216 million to 490 million active units), and technology penetration rates (e.g., 18 percent smart‑enabled cylinders, 1.3 million units) .

The tank type segmentation covers four classes: Type I (metal), II (partially wrapped), III (fully wrapped), and IV (polymer liner). The report highlights that Type III held largest global share by 2020 and that Type IV led the LPG composite sub‑segment valued at USD 862.4 million in 2023. It also examines fiber material segmentation—glass, carbon, aramid, HDPE—where glass fiber held top value share as of 2020 and HDPE is emerging as fastest new material .

Application segmentation includes Gas Carriers and Storage, Transportation, Life Support, and Others (aerospace, emergency systems, etc.). Transportation leads volume demand, with Europe’s 60 percent CNG-vehicle adoption in composites and over 1.2 million clean-energy units in North America . Life Support charts use in medical cylinders, with 52 million units in 2023 and 14 million medical units in North America .

Regional coverage spans North America (43.51 percent share, 575 million USD value, 74 million units), Europe (94 million active units, 670,000 hydrogen units), Asia‑Pacific (216 million production, 38 million medical), and Middle East & Africa (41 million units, 470,000 imported composite units) . Technological coverage includes innovations like automated fiber placement, resin transfer molding, IoT‑enabled cylinders, UV‑resistant resins, fiber‑metal laminates, and HDPE shells. It also explores certification (EN, ASME), smart cylinder tracking, and manufacturing automation.

The report addresses investment and financing aspects: US‑led $4.2 billion in production/R&D funding, $280+ product launches, 120 patents in 18 months. It also investigates trade flows, e.g., Asia‑Pacific export to Middle East composite units, and regulatory frameworks: EN certification in Europe, North American RFID mandates, and regional standards in MEA.

Overall, the scope spans market sizing, segmentation, regional distribution, key technology and product trends, company profiling, investment flows, and strategic opportunities, offering a granular, numbers-based understanding of the global Composite Cylinders Market without discussing revenue or CAGR directly.