Ballard Power Systems has announced plans to open an integrated fuel cell production Gigafactory based in Rockwall, Texas. The project will be supported by two grants from the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The company’s grant applications have been selected and recommended for negotiation of financial awards. The $40 million fund, made possible by the Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis, Manufacturing, and Recycling Program, will be used, along with an additional $120 million investment from the company, to pay for Phase 1 of the project, which will run from 2024 to 2027. The new facility will feature an annual production capacity of 8 million membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), 8 million bipolar plates, 20,000 fuel cell stacks, and up to 20,000 fuel cell engines per year. Additional support has also been provided by the Rockwall Economic Development Corporation (REDC), including a mix of land, financial, fee, and permit incentives for the facility.
In a recent quote, Randy MacEwen, Ballard’s President & Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are thrilled to be recommended for participation in the Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis, Manufacturing, and Recycling Program. We are grateful for the strong support of the DOE’s hydrogen policies that position the U.S. for future scaling of hydrogen and fuel cells. This is particularly important as the U.S. accelerates a path towards environmental sustainability and energy security, while continuing to boost domestic manufacturing and bolster critical supply chains. We are also excited to unveil the next stage of our ‘local for local’ manufacturing strategy, which will feature cutting-edge fuel cell manufacturing technologies across our fuel cell production value chain, enabling cost competitive solutions at scale.”
Investing in American Manufacturing - 2024
This map shows where manufacturers are choosing to invest their resources, whether they are building new production facilities or expanding existing plants.