Cummins to build fuel cell system plant in Germany
The US company Cummins has announced the opening of a new plant in the German city of Herten, which will initially focus on the assembly of fuel cell systems for Alstom hydrogen trains. The plant is scheduled to start operations in July 2021.
Cummins fuel cell and hydrogen technologies are used in delivery trucks, refuse trucks, trains and hydrogen production facilities. The company says that the plant in Herten will have a capacity of 10 megawatts per year. Cummins took over the fuel cell manufacturer Hydrogenics last year, which will now also be responsible for the Herten plant.
Initially, the assembly of the fuel cell systems is to take place in Herten. In addition to production, research and development will also be located in Herten. Existing fuel cell stacks are also to be refurbished in one expansion phase. For Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen train, six stacks will be combined with a cooling system, piping, fans and air filters to form one system, for which products from other Cummins plants in Europe are to be used. For example, PEM fuel cells are assembled in Oevel, Belgium.
“The choice to open this new fuel cell systems site in Germany is a testament to Cummins’ commitment to accelerate our hydrogen capabilities,” said Amy Davis, President of New Power at Cummins, before adding: “This facility will better position us to provide critical support to customers in Europe and strategically strengthen our position to be a leader in shaping tomorrow’s hydrogen economy.”
The plant is to be built on a former mining site, the lessor is the city of Herten itself and wants to build a hydrogen park there. “To have a global player like Cummins join our park is fantastic,” says Matthias Müller, Mayor of Herten. “We are focused on innovation and the clean future of transport and are glad that Cummins also will be working to achieve this goal.”
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