An estimated 80 million euros will be invested in the plant, which is expected to begin producing the first systems in early 2024 and that it will initially create some 150 highly-skilled jobs, with the possibility of increasing the workforce by 200 more as production increases, and the American gigafactory Cummins has begun construction of its first electrolyzer plant in Europe for the production of green hydrogen in Guadalajara.
Public officials, including the Third Vice President of the Government and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge Teresa Ribera, President of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha Emiliano Garca-Page, and Mayor of Guadalajara Alberto Rojo, were present for the laying of Cummins’ first stone in the Polgono del Ruiseor de Guadalajara, and they all spoke highly of the impact that the new facility will have
Teresa Ribera, Spain’s Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge spoke about how this first stone represents the start of “an adventure from the world to Spain and from Guadalajara to the world,” despite the fact that progress toward decarbonization and climate security is still very slow and that much work remains to be done.
The minister emphasized the importance of growth and thanked Cummins’s board of directors for their faith in the Spanish fabric, saying that natural gas should continue to be considered as a potential transition fuel “It’s an important train, and we can’t afford to let it get derailed, but power generation must be done carefully to avoid waste.
That’s why, in Ribera’s view, we need to go to work on a reality that “is currently existing and that has to be a positive future” for green hydrogen. “We want to unleash an energy revolution with a key reduction in energy and commercial dependence, and Spain is well positioned,” he said, noting the positive response to the renewable hydrogen lines that had been launched and predicting that by 2023, enough aid would have been resolved to activate a gigawatt of electrolyzers.
In addition, he believes that the goal should be to export surpluses, but he has also promised that by December he will propose the Mediterranean Hydrogen Corridor in Alicante, which will produce new industries, jobs, and innovation.
He emphasized that “Spain has one of the greatest economies in the European Union and offers a stable environment for the growth of green hydrogen production and innovation.” “All outstanding requests for European Next Generation funding will be issued by the government in 2023, as previously promised.
We’re thrilled to be partnering with a pioneer in the field like Cummins, and we’re committed to expanding our hydrogen-production capabilities as part of the RePower project to keep up with rising demand.
So also, “the Government is likewise dedicated to the goal of increasing the capabilities of workers in the green hydrogen sector. It will be crucial for us to be industry leaders in Europe if we are able to train individuals for the sector in collaboration with universities, vocational training institutes, and corporations like Cummins “, the Government’s Third Vice President is growing.
Vice President of Electrolyzers at Cummins, Alexey Ustinov, says that the “assurance” afforded by Spain has been crucial in making the decision to move this firm at this time of “political and economic” uncertainty.
He thinks Spain is in a perfect location to become an international leader in clean energy and technological innovation. According to him, the establishment of this firm would pave the way for the growth of the environmentally friendly hydrogen economy in Spain and throughout Europe.
Ustinov explained that one of the key reasons Spain was chosen for this industrial project was because of the government’s assistance. “We cannot achieve our target of lowering harmful emissions at a worldwide level without support such as that of this Government.”
In addition, he thinks Spain has the robust and dynamic ecosystem necessary for hydrogen production, which is why he is so pleased to invest in Castilla-La Mancha in a 20,000-square-meter factory that will be used for electrolyzer assembly and testing and has the capacity to produce 500 MW of electrolyzers annually. And eventually, it hopes to be producing at a rate of one GW each year.
Emiliano Garca-Page, president of Castilla-La Mancha, agrees that Cummins’s arrival in Guadalajara is “exciting,” saying that the company “will undoubtedly be a magnet” for many other businesses “Together, he said, “we are laying the foundations not only of a large company but of a new economy,” as he announced the upcoming Friday groundbreaking of a second factory in Alcázar de San Juan.
The president of Castilla-La Mancha said, “It is an exciting day, not only because we are constructing a corporation, but also because Spain now has a course that assures it will weather the storm in a more robust fashion than other nations surrounding us.”
Regarding Cummins’s decision to locate in Guadalajara, the president has expressed his delight in the fact that Alcarria’s capital has also claimed its role in the area’s industrial urban growth, which is already a reality thanks to the advent of a new economy.
He is here to announce that Regional Government would soon begin to think that the Corridor itself has reached the limit with Soria.
He stressed that “Cummins’ investment in Guadalajara will bring highly trained employees to Castilla-La Mancha,” which in turn would boost the local economy and put Castilla-La Mancha and Spain at the front of the green revolution in Europe.
For his part, Guadalajara Mayor Alberto Rojo has expressed his delight at the city becoming the “germ” site for the production of green hydrogen amidst the energy and climate crisis, thanks to the city’s decision to cede land for the “ambitious project,” which can also count on the support of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha.
And he continued, “Guadalajara has been able to take advantage of its full potential and start an expansion process,” meaning that more factories would soon be arriving in the city.
He is confident that the arrival of the Cummins plant “inaugurates an unstoppable business takeoff for the city,” he said, adding that the Guadalajara City Council will keep trying to bring in new industries, and that he expects 3,000 new jobs to be created in the next two or three years as a result.
