ITM Power’s electrolyser gigafactory in Sheffield, UK, represents a firm milestone in the OEM’s evolution – reflecting just how far the OEM has come from its humble beginning.
Stepping into the site is an overwhelming experience. You ascend a set of industrial metal stairs and reach an elevated viewing platform. From there, you see a vast, clinically clean factory floor. Amid the bright silver and white floors and walls, and the continuous low-level whirr of air circulation, electrolyser stacks and modules are dotted across the site, all at various stages of construction.
The heart of the facility is dedicated to assembling these industrial units, while the surrounding halls host the firm’s R&D efforts. In one room, dozens of electrolyser cells are running, each trialling different membranes, catalysts and operating profiles. From there, other rooms see more up-scaled cells and stacks, until you re-join the factory floor, where stack sub-assemblies are made with automated machines, limiting how many components are handled.
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