After the Baytown site in Houston acquired the room for a new electrolyser gigafactory, John Cockerill Hydrogen has announced it will be expanding its company into the US with the development of this new factory.

This expansion will bring many benefits through what is expected of it. The plant will be able to produce 1 GW of electrolysers every year, which will allow Houston to serve the North American market, whilst also providing a domestic supply chain, local customer support and green hydrogen production equipment. The new electrolyser will be developed within the pre-existing buildings, which will be adapted to handle the electrolyser through being renovated with new equipment. The plant will also have its experience with its other plants in Europe and China to help it manage this new workload. Production and operation is expected to commence in 2024 and this plant will be one of the pioneering facilities of this size, to deal with alkaline manufacturing, in the US.

John Cockerill Hydrogen made a good choice with the geographical location of this facility, the Baytown, Houston, site has close proximity to transport routes, which includes a rail spur on site, major highways and nearby barge access, which both contribute to facilitating inbound and outbound logistics. The choice was also made well due to the pre-existing infrastructure within the chosen buildings, which aid the project further. Furthermore, basing the new electrolyser in Houston, was an excellent idea and Houston recently became one of the seven regional hydrogen hubs, being places after the US Department of Energy, for providing a network of energy transition partners.

The President of the Americas for John Cockerill, Nicolas de Coignac, commented, “With an existing energy ecosystem comprised of competitive natural resources, a highly skilled talent base, and existing infrastructure, Houston was the natural choice for our entry to North America. We look forward to partnering with local and state officials, business organisations, academic institutions and other Houston-area stakeholders playing a part in meeting the ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and ensuring energy security and resilience.”

The President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, Bob Harvey, added, “This momentous announcement – closely following the US Energy Department’s selection of HyVelocity to develop a Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub – serves as a resounding testament to our city’s unrivalled status as the energy – and energy transition – capital of the world.”