The company said the new facility’s electrolyzers are based on the latest technology from its partner HydrogenPro. It has an estimated annual production capacity of about one gigawatt — about 160–200 electrolyzers a year. 

“As one of the first facilities of its kind in Thuringia and one of the largest electrolyzer production sites in Germany, the new Gigafactory underlines ANDRITZ's role in developing a sustainable hydrogen economy in Europe,” said Thuringia’s Prime Minister Mario Voigt. 

While key components for green hydrogen production have already been produced in the new facility since March, the output can be increased depending on customer demand. Products already produced include electrolyzer cell stacks and phase separators which are subjected to a pressure test and quality control, the company said. 

“With this Gigafactory, we not only support our customers in mastering the green transition, but also get closer to our goal of being a leading provider of innovative, economically viable solutions here,” said ANDRITZ chief executive officer Joachim Schönbeck.

Located on a strategically located site with a long-standing history of industrial manufacturing, the facility has direct access to major transportation networks. The company estimates its proximity to central roadways will enable safe and timely delivery to project sites across the continent. 

ANDRITZ said the first electrolyzers produced at the facility will go to Salzgitter AG’s 100-megawatt hydrogen plant for low-CO2 steel production. All the facility’s green hydrogen products are Conformité Européene (CE)-certified and meet Europe’s safety and performance standards. 

“The 100-MW electrolysis plant that we are now building together with ANDRITZ will enable us to produce hydrogen independently and will therefore contribute to the production of sustainable products at the Salzgitter site in the future,” said Gerd Baresch, chief technology officer of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH.