ROCKWALL, Texas — Fuel cell company Ballard Power Systems says it plans to invest about $160 million through 2027 to build a new manufacturing facility (gigafactory) in Rockwall as part of the project's first phase.
Ballard announced this week that the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) notified it that its applications for two grants totaling $40 million to support the facility's construction were selected and recommended for negotiation of a financial award.
Ballard says it’s also applied for additional funding under other U.S. government funding programs.
The new facility, dubbed Rockwall Giga 1, will be on 22 acres of industrial land within the Rockwall Technology Park. The facility is expected to have an annual production capacity of 8 million membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), 8 million bipolar plates, 20,000 fuel cell stacks, and up to 20,000 fuel cell engines per year, or the equivalent of 3 gigawatts of fuel cells, according to a news release.
Ballard says land acquisition rights and facility design allow for more phases at the Rockwall site that could increase production and capacity in the future.
Ballard says it expects to make a final investment decision on this facility later this year.
“We are thrilled to be recommended for participation in the Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis, Manufacturing, and Recycling Program,” said Randy MacEwen, Ballard’s President and CEO. “We are grateful for the strong support of the DOE’s hydrogen policies that position the U.S. for future scaling of hydrogen and fuel cells. This is particularly important as the U.S. accelerates a path toward environmental sustainability and energy security while continuing to boost domestic manufacturing and bolster critical supply chains. We are also excited to unveil the next stage of our ‘local for local’ manufacturing strategy, which will feature cutting-edge fuel cell manufacturing technologies across our fuel cell production value chain, enabling cost-competitive solutions at scale.”
Ballard says they’ve also received support from the Rockwall Economic Development Corporation, which owns and manages the Rockwall Technology Park, in the form of land, financial, fee, and permit incentives for the facility.
“With an increasingly constructive policy environment and growing customer interest, it is critical to invest in this innovative manufacturing line,” said Dr. Lee Sweetland, Ballard’s Chief Transformation Officer. “We have been working hard to develop next-generation, automated production processes for MEAs, bipolar plates, and stack assembly that will position Ballard to meet expected future market demand, while significantly driving down the cost of our market-leading fuel cell engines. We are delighted to partner with the REDC to establish Ballard Rockwall Giga 1, which we expect to contribute to the Rockwall tax base and add high-quality jobs in Rockwall.”
“We are thrilled that Ballard chose Rockwall, Texas, for this transformative project. We believe the choice of Rockwall speaks to our strong advanced manufacturing workforce, logistical advantages, and first-class shovel ready sites we have available in the Rockwall Technology Park,” said Rockwall Economic Development Corporation President Phil Wagner, “Ballard’s planned investment will go a long way in enabling continued high-quality services at the city, county, and school district levels. Likewise, we look forward to being a committed partner for Ballard in their future growth.”
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