Cummins Inc. will soon begin building its new gigawatt electrolyzer manufacturing plant in Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, reaffirming the company’s commitment to expanding the green hydrogen economy in Spain and beyond.
Last year, Cummins announced it had selected Spain as the site of a new proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer plant. Earlier this year, the company purchased more than 530,000 sq. ft. (50,000 sq. m.) of land in the industrial area of Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, where it is now preparing to begin construction.alex
“We are excited to begin work on this facility in Spain as we grow Cummins’ electrolyzer manufacturing footprint around the world,” said Alexey Ustinov, Vice President of Electrolyzers at Cummins. “By increasing our ability to meet demand for hydrogen generation technology, this factory will help accelerate the global clean energy transition and the role of hydrogen as a viable alternative energy source in Europe. Cummins is committed to helping the EU produce more green hydrogen domestically as it progresses toward the goals of the Paris Agreement, European Green Deal and Fit for 55 package.”
The more than 200,000 sq. ft. (20,000 sq. m.) facility will house system assembly and testing and have the capacity to produce 500 megawatts (MW) of electrolyzers per year, scalable to more than 1 gigawatt (GW) per year. Cummins’ investment in Spain adds to the company’s efforts to scale development and manufacturing of zero-emissions technologies and ultimately reduce global carbon emissions.
“Spain has one of the largest economies in the European Union and offers a strong environment for expanded hydrogen production and innovation,” said Teresa Ribera, Vice President of the Spanish Government and Minister for Ecological Transition. “The Spanish government has confirmed its commitment to launching all relevant public funding calls under the EU Next Generation instrument in 2023. We are excited to work with a technology leader like Cummins and look forward to dedicating more resources to hydrogen production under the RePower EU initiative to meet the increase in demand. The government is also committed to the goal of developing the skills of workers in the green hydrogen industry. Our ability to train people in the sector together with universities, vocational training centers and companies like Cummins will be essential to being leaders in Europe.”
Construction of the new PEM electrolyzer plant is anticipated to be complete at the end of 2023. It will initially create approximately 150 high-skill jobs, with the potential to add another 200 jobs as production grows.
“Cummins’ investment in Guadalajara will bring high-skilled jobs to Castilla-La Mancha, grow the local economy and help position this region and Spain at the forefront of Europe’s clean energy transition,” said Emiliano Garcia-Page, President of the Castilla La-Mancha Region. “I hope to see this facility take shape in our community, specifically in a province that aims at pushing for technology and industrialization in its growth.”
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