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| Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited announces fuel cell production in Oberbruch Industrial Park |
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State of North Rhine Westphalia invests 3.2 million euros - important milestone for future technology / 200 new jobs in the area
 Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (CFCL), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of solid oxide fuel cells for coupled power/heat cogeneration (m-CHP) plans to set up a large production facility for fuel cells in Oberbruch Industrial Park, Heinsberg. The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia is assisting the project with an investment of 3.2 million euros.
January 2007 will see the start of the construction work for the production facility, which will be set up in two stages. In the first stage, which is to be completed in 2009, a semi-automatic production facility will be set up in an existing building in Nuon Industrial Park. Here up to 50,000 1kW fuel cell stacks will be manufactured a year round the clock (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). In the second stage three further fully automatic plants will be built, in which up to 150,000 elements will be manufactured per year in a new-build factory next to the existing building. CFCL has signed the rent agreement for the existing building for the first construction stage; for the second construction stage it has acquired the option to acquire the land. The company intends to fund the project by mixed financing, i.e. through loans and investments. Talks are already under way with local finance providers.
Christa Thoben, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprises and Energy, welcomes the setting up of a fuel cell factory in Heinsberg. At the press conference in Düsseldorf on 12th December she said, "The fuel cell with high conversion efficiencies is a key technology of the future. A branch of industry with future promise can now develop here. The choice of Heinsberg as a location confirms the area’s drawing power. By choosing NRW as a location CFCL is confirming the importance of the state as one of Europe’s strongest energy-producing areas." NRW’s enormous expertise in energy technology was what tipped the balance for the company in its Europewide search for a suitable location.
"CFCL’s location here can make a significant contribution to successful structural change in an area badly hit by the loss of jobs in the mining and chemical industries," said the minister. The state and the EU are financially supporting the development of additional industrial space at the Oberbruch location.
Oberbruch was and is a location for the development and production of innovative products: from the development and production of the first artificial silk, from viscose and perlon to carbon fibres for aircraft construction - all high-performing products of world rank. "CFCL is fitting into this chain," stressed Minister Thoben.
The Business Development Corporation (BDC) for North Rhine-Westphalia intensively supported CFCL in its search for a location and successfully moderated the entire process. The BDC drew CFCL’s particular attention to the Oberbruch location and its many advantages, accompanied the company to its first location appointments and initiated discussions with Nuon.
Said Dr. Thomas Mecke, Chairman of the Management of Nuon Germany, "I should like to express my thanks for the excellent collaboration with the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprises and Energy and the Business Development Corporation. Together we have succeeded in drawing to the area an attractive investor. Nuon Germany has made the future potential of industrial locations its cause. With our innovative industrial park management we not only offer our customers all the media like power, gas and water, we also assist with all questions of logistics and location development. In Oberbruch Industrial Park CFCL will be able to concentrate entirely on its core business.
"CFCL as manufacturer of high-tech energy technology and Nuon as energy provider - that is a better than good combination, because Nuon invests in clean energy and is looking for lasting solutions for energy supply in the future."
Brendan Dow, Chairman of CFCL’s Management Board, said, "We are pleased to have reached this milestone and to have found a site in Europe to develop our production at. Germany is an important market for the development of fuel cells in Europe, and North Rhine-Westphalia with its well-trained specialist workforce is a highly developed European industrial location for fuel cell technology.
"This production facility is very important for the company. It will enable us to increase production, boost revenues, lower unit costs and meet the growing demand for fuel cell products.
"We are delighted that the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia has decided to take a leading role in the support of fuel cell production. We likewise look forward to working together with Nuon in Heinsberg.“
12.12.2006 |
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