Plug Power to construct $125m fuel cell innovation centre in US

Hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer Plug Power has announced plans to construct a $125m innovation centre in New York, US.

The centre will house research and development for fuel cell stacks, membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) and electrolysers. The facility will be located in the Town of Henrietta, Monroe County and have the capacity to produce more than 1GW of power.

A Plug Power spokesperson said this will also be the world’s first gigafactory for Proton Exchange Membrane technology. The facility will have the capacity to manufacture approximately seven million MEAs/plates, 60,000 stacks, and 500MW of electrolysers annually.

Plug Power plans to use advanced manufacturing techniques, including high speed lamination, automated metal plate stamping, laser welding and robotic gasketing.

Fuel cell stacks manufactured at the facility will be used in the company’s ProGen hydrogen fuel cell engines. Electrolysers from the facility will be used in the generation of green hydrogen from renewable electricity.

The project will form part of the company’s strategy to speed up the development of a clean hydrogen ecosystem.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: “Plug Power’s continued investment and expansion in the Finger Lakes region is truly a testament to their commitment to this effort.

“This state-of-the-art innovation centre will not only further establish New York as a centre for green energy excellence and create hundreds of jobs, but also play a key role in helping reach the goals set forth in our nation-leading climate and clean energy agenda.”

Renovation work on the facility, which is expected to create nearly 375 jobs, is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2021. Operations will begin during the middle of this year.

Furthermore, Plug Power plans to supply green hydrogen produced at the new facility to local commercial fleets.