Congressman Joe Morelle Tours Plug Power’s Rochester Facility – largest MEA production plant in the Country
Plug Power Inc. is building the clean hydrogen economy as the leading provider of comprehensive hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) turnkey solutions. The company’s innovative technology powers electric motors with hydrogen fuel cells amid an ongoing paradigm shift in the power, energy, and transportation industries to address climate change and energy security, while providing efficiency gains and meeting sustainability goals.
This week, the company hosted Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25) at its Rochester, NY fuel cell center of excellence. Work done at the facility makes Plug Power the country’s largest manufacturer of MEA (membrane electrode assembly) technology, a critical component of the fuel cell stack used in zero-emission fuel cell electric vehicle engines.
Plug Power’s presence in the city began in early 2019, renewing the area’s high-tech manufacturing job market. Now, less than a year later, the company is expanding its footprint with the opening of a new facility intended to support an increase in MEA production demand. The new Rochester facility supports more than 65 jobs and includes engineering, research and development (R&D) laboratory space equipped with cutting-edge technology to produce world class high-performance, low-cost MEAs. The operation leverages EEP Quality Group (Efficient, Effective, Productive) for contract labor for the final assembly process.
Operations at the facility use roll-to-roll coating to automate the MEA manufacturing. On the tour, the Congressman saw hot presses and die cutters used in final assembly. This low cost modular assembly approach is used because it can be easily duplicated to increase volume. In fact, the facility is currently capable of manufacturing over three million MEAs annually!
“Businesses and consumers care about their carbon footprint and its impact on the environment, driving a shift towards electrification and clean energy sources,” said Plug Power’s CEO Andy Marsh. “Plug Power manufactures zero-emission fuel cell engines for applications which demand high asset-utilization in an electric world. Congressman Joe Morelle has a long history of supporting fuel cells in the Rochester area. He works each day to support measures that reduce our carbon emissions and ensure our planet’s well-being for future generations. I thank him for taking time to learn Plug Power’s role in this fight, right here in his home state and district.”
“Adoption of hydrogen and fuel cell technology is an important influencer to a carbon-neutral future,” said Congressman Morelle. “Seeing the work that Plug Power has done to make this made-in-American technology into a commercially-viable, job-creating industry gives me tremendous pride. I thank the hardworking employees at Plug Power Rochester, and beyond, for their dedication.”
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