Enapter sets up mass production for electrolyzers in Saerbeck

The self-proclaimed leading provider of AEM electrolysis technology, Enapter, has announced plans to establish its first mass production facility in North Rhine-Westphalia. The so-called Enapter Campus is to be built in the climate community of Saerbeck, where modular systems for producing green hydrogen will be manufactured and further developed in large quantities. Starting in 2022, up to 100,000 units are expected to be produced in the halls. The current series production in Pisa, Italy, will still be expanded and will complement the production capacity. Companies from 33 countries are already using Enapter's highly efficient AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane) electrolyzers to replace fossil fuels with green hydrogen.

"The establishment of a new factory for hydrogen electrolyzers with up to 300 qualified jobs shows: North Rhine-Westphalia is making further progress on its way to becoming a hydrogen state," said Andreas Pinkwart, Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization, and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The state government plans to present a roadmap this fall to further advance hydrogen technology together with the industry. In his opinion, this could further significantly reduce CO2 emissions while keeping local companies competitive.

The operating site is to be fully powered by renewable energy from Saerbeck's solar, wind, and biomass plants, as well as from its own solar systems and hydrogen storage facilities.

"Enapter's very concrete plans for climate-neutral mass production of electrolyzers for hydrogen production immediately convinced us. This establishment was primarily possible because we are a climate community and share with Enapter the idea of a fair energy system of the future: regional value creation, climate and energy policy as a citizen movement, and comprehensive consideration of the needs of people and nature," explained Wilfried Roos, Mayor of the Saerbeck municipality.

Automated mass production in Saerbeck is a central prerequisite for Enapter to make green hydrogen economically competitive with fossil energy sources worldwide and available in the required quantities, according to the provider. Additionally, the production and operation of the campus will be sustainable, with various zero-waste approaches and a facility dedicated to recycling old electrolyzers, they promise. Construction on the 76,000 square meter site in Saerbeck, 30 km north of Münster, is scheduled to start in early 2021. Completion and the start of production are expected in 2022.