Cummins To Start U.S. Electrolyzer Production To Help Drive Green Hydrogen Economy
Global Power Leader Cummins Inc. will begin producing electrolyzers in the United States, underscoring the company’s continued dedication to advancing the nation’s green hydrogen economy.
An electrolyzer separates water into oxygen and hydrogen. When the electrolyzer system is powered using renewable electricity – such as solar, wind or hydropower – the hydrogen produced is “green” and carbon free.
Production will take place in Fridley, Minnesota, starting at 500 megawatts (MW) of manufacturing capacity annually, scalable to 1 gigawatt (GW) in the future.
“Expanding Cummins’ electrolyzer manufacturing footprint to the United States is a milestone not only for our company but an important step in advancing global decarbonization efforts,” said Alexey Ustinov, Vice President of Electrolyzers at Cummins.
“This is a reflection of increasing government support through the Inflation Reduction Act, Hydrogen Hubs and a blossoming hydrogen economy in the states,” Ustinov added. “Cummins’ ability to leverage our manufacturing, engineering and sourcing knowledge to build capacity will help us meet increased customer demand and continue to accelerate the clean energy transition.”
Cummins plans to dedicate 89,000 square feet of its existing Fridley plant to electrolyzer production. Initially, the facility will manufacture its HyLYZER®-500 and HyLYZER®-5000 proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers here, with the potential to manufacture other electrolyzer products in the future.
This range of products can accommodate power needs from 1.25MW to more than 200MW for both small- and large-scale hydrogen generation projects.
The new production space in Fridley adds to Cummins’ growing global electrolyzer development and manufacturing footprint. The company recently announced expansion of PEM electrolyzer manufacturing capacity at its Belgium factory to 1GW and has added space to its Mississauga, Canada, campus.
Cummins is also building two new electrolyzer factories in Spain and China, each starting at 500MW of manufacturing capacity and scalable to 1GW.
Cummins has a long history of advanced technology and engineering capabilities and innovates across a broad portfolio of market-leading renewable hydrogen technologies. It has been part of many of the world’s hydrogen “firsts,” including powering the world’s largest PEM electrolyzer in operation at 20MW in Bécancour, Canada.
Choosing Fridley as the site for its first U.S. electrolyzer production plant highlights Cummins’ long-term commitment to the greater Twin Cities area and the favorable climate for investment there. In addition to strengthening its physical roots in Fridley, the company is dedicated to helping the community in a variety of ways, including through its Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity (CARE) program and support for Black-owned businesses and mobile grocery markets in the greater Minneapolis area.
“We congratulate Cummins on choosing Minnesota as the location for its first electrolyzer production plant in the country,” said Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove. “We’re proud that Cummins recognizes the many elements that make Minnesota a great place to expand business.”
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