Nel, which is committed to accelerating the energy transition, has selected Plymouth Charter Township, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, as the location for its next gigafactory.
Fully developed, the factory will be among the world’s largest electrode manufacturing facilities, with a total annual capacity of 4 GW of alkaline and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer technology annually.
The Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) has awarded a $10-million Michigan Business Development grant to the project. The MSF board also approved a 15-year, 100% State Essential Services Assessment (SESA) Exemption Request, valued at up to $6.25 million to support the project. Nel has secured more than $50 million so far in support of its Michigan site.
Pending approval of additional state and federal applications, this amount could increase to around $150 million.
“Plymouth Charter Township is an ideal location for Nel. Here, we have access to a highly educated workforce, universities and research institutions, and we are close to our collaborating partner, General Motors. In addition, the Government and the authorities of Michigan have provided a very attractive financial support package for us,” says Nel’s CEO, Håkon Volldal.
The manufacturing facility aims to build on Nel’s fully automated electrolyzer concept, which the company has developed at its production facility in Herøya, Norway. Similarly, the company’s expansion of the facility in Wallingford will play a critical role in creating a blueprint for scaling up the production of Nel’s PEM electrolyzers.
“This investment will bring good-paying jobs to the region and build on our leadership in cars, chips, and clean energy. We know the best manufacturing in the world happens right here in our state, and we were proud to share our vision for a clean energy future during our economic mission to Europe earlier this year. We will continue to let the world know about our state’s attractive business climate, talented workforce, and commitment to clean hydrogen development as we work to bring these transformational investments home to Michigan,” said Governor of Michigan, Grethchen Whitmer.
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