Cummins Selects Spain for Electrolyzer Plant
(photo courtesy of Cummins Inc.)
Columbus-based Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) and partner Iberdrola in Spain have announced plans for what they say is one of the world’s largest electrolyzer plants for the production of green hydrogen in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. The investment comes after Iberdrola and Cummins’ decision to partner together on large-scale hydrogen production projects in Spain and Portugal.
Cummins says the companies have signed an agreement to accelerate the growth of business opportunities in the electrolyzer market of Iberia, promoting the green hydrogen value chain. The facility, which will initially be 22,000 square meters, is expected to open in 2023 and will create 350 new jobs as production ramps up.
“Spain offers a strong and dynamic local environment for hydrogen production, and we are excited to invest here and significantly increase our manufacturing capacity in Europe,” said Tom Linebarger, chief executive officer of Cummins. “Our partnership with Iberdrola will connect us with a major clean energy company and strategically positions us to be a European leader in green hydrogen production. We believe that this is just the start of our expansion into new markets, bringing new clean technology to customers, and supporting efforts to bring the European Union’s Green Deal to fruition. As communities move toward zero emissions, this is the latest example of Cummins’ global effort to achieve carbon neutrality and accelerate the hydrogen economy.”
Cummins says a site selection search is underway for its new €50-million plant that will house system assembly and testing for approximately 500 MW per year and will be scalable to more than 1 GW per year.
“This initiative will accelerate the production of green hydrogen in Spain and will create a new industry, the manufacturing of electrolyzer systems, with high growth potential,” said Ignacio Galán, chief executive officer of Iberdrola. “We continue to make progress in our ambitious plan to put Spain and Europe at the global forefront of this technology by reducing energy dependence and fossil fuel consumption while driving the country’s economic and social revitalization.”
Cummins says it has deployed more than 600 electrolyzers in 100 countries.