ARNHEM, Earlier this week, Nedstack received confirmation that their application for financing the construction of a Fuel Cell Giga Factory (FCGF) has been granted. This is the start of a unique project within the European Union to realize the largest fuel cell factory in Europe, with a production capacity of one gigawatt per year of fuel cell power. Nedstack is a leading developer and manufacturer of PEM fuel cell stacks and systems. Construction of the factory will start this year, with a view to putting it into operation in 2026.
Urgent social relevance
The FCGF can play an important role in reducing emissions and achieving the climate goals at Dutch and European level. The Netherlands wants to emit 49% less CO2 in 2030 than in 1990. In order to achieve this climate goal, this IPCEI project has become extremely important. Nedstack, therefore, focuses on emission-free solutions that can be applied in industry, the propulsion of ships, off-grid applications and the built environment.
Costs of hydrogen will be reduced
The FCGF research & development programs have already started to realize a huge drop in the cost of hydrogen solutions. This increases the economic feasibility of hydrogen demonstrator projects and using hydrogen sustainably. This is not only a great development for the cost of fuel cells, but for the entire hydrogen value chain.
The Fuel Cell Giga Factory
The Fuel Cell Giga Factory will be built at the Industry Park Kleefse Waard in Arnhem and will become the largest fuel cell stack factory in Europe. The plant will have an annual production capacity of one gigawatt of fuel cell power.
Importance for the region
The construction of the factory will have a direct impact on employment, as Nedstack expects it will need an extra 90-250 staff once the factory is put into operation. These developments are also good news for the other companies in the hydrogen chain of the Eastern Netherlands.
Approval by the European Commission
The application for funding was submitted to the European Commission's Important Projects Common European Interest (IPCEI) program. IPCEI offers companies the opportunity to acquire financial support for breakthrough projects. To this end, the European Commission has granted the Dutch government permission to finance the project. The breakthrough projects funded by IPCEI are characterised by the fact that their innovative developments and practical applications support the growth of a whole ecosystem of innovations that also contribute to Europe's competitiveness.
Role of Kiemt and Connectr
Kiemt, in its role as a network organisation for accelerating the energy transition in the east of the Netherlands, contributed to the IPCEI application by arranging financial support, integrating the regional ecosystem, co-writing the application, and collecting support from partners. The IPCEI award also means that Nedstack can offer a shared facility for the further development of the fuel cell technology of other companies. Setting up and strengthening shared facilities is the focal point of Connectr's activities, with the aim of accelerating the advancement of energy technology. Connectr, a collaboration between IPKW, HAN, OostNL and Kiemt, will therefore further support Nedstack in the development and operation of this shared facility.
