Hydrasun will assemble Nel’s containerised PEM electrolysers in Aberdeen, supported by £1.9 million from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund. The work creates up to 12 jobs and safeguards 11 more.
The two companies have signed a framework agreement. Hydrasun will invest in new production lines for Nel’s MC Series. That platform is containerised and scalable, sold today in 1.25MW and 2.5MW building blocks.
Hydrasun will also handle procurement, assembly and integration of the balance of plant around the stack. Nel will keep making the PEM stacks themselves at its Wallingford site in the United States. So Aberdeen gets integration work rather than cell manufacturing.
Funding and jobs
The Scottish Government is contributing £1.9 million through its Just Transition Fund. Hydrasun will use the money to upgrade its facilities for clean technology manufacturing. That creates up to 12 new jobs and safeguards a further 11.
John Swinney, Scotland’s First Minister, visited the site on Wednesday. He said the region’s workforce are “among the most skilled and experienced in the world”. While oil and gas production continues for years yet, he argued, those same workers should underpin the clean energy build-out.
What Nel gains
Nel already deploys its technology worldwide and integrates systems in the United States. A European partner therefore widens its delivery options for European orders. Demand for standardised modular systems is what drove the arrangement.
Tushar Ghuwalewala, SVP PEM Operations at Nel, said: “We are pleased to be working with Hydrasun to establish an experienced European integration partner for our standardized PEM electrolyser solutions, the MC Series. As demand for standardized, modular systems grows, this collaboration enhances our ability to serve key markets while creating greater flexibility and scalability across our production network.”
Hydrasun is marking 50 years in business, having started in Aberdeen in 1976. Its existing work covers fluid transfer, power and control systems for the energy industry. James Gaskell, Hydrasun’s chief executive, called the agreement “a defining moment in Hydrasun’s evolution”.
A small plant with a wider purpose
Twelve jobs is a modest number against the scale of the North Sea workforce. The significance lies in supply chain capability rather than headcount. Scotland has plenty of hydrogen project announcements and very little equipment manufacturing.
Maggie McGinlay, Chief Executive at ETZ Ltd, said: “This investment is exactly the kind of tangible, industrial-scale project the North-east needs as it diversifies its energy base. It reinforces Aberdeen and North East Scotland’s position as an internationally recognised hub of energy excellence and the most attractive location in Europe for investment in low carbon technologies.”
Local suppliers should pick up work as the lines are built out. Whether the facility grows depends on Nel’s European orderbook converting into firm deliveries. Until then, the plant is a first step rather than a supply chain.
