With the Assembly Hub, the electrolysis manufacturer thyssenkrupp nucera aims to strengthen its European value chain and advance the automation of cell assembly. The Assembly Hub is expected to "significantly" increase capacity thanks to faster and more efficient cell assembly – however, the company does not specify a number.
Electrolysis cells have so far been manufactured decentrally at customers' sites
The first step involves cells for alkaline water electrolysis. Until now, the individual cell elements for the standardised 20-megawatt unit "Scalum" for hydrogen production have been assembled in decentralised customer workshops. This is often more time-consuming than central assembly and thus a capacity bottleneck. In the new hub, several cells are to be processed in parallel.
On the customer side, this is intended to reduce the effort for planning, personnel, and resources. The assembly-ready cell packages are also expected to reduce complexity on the construction site. The new assembly centre is also expected to bring advantages for customer service, both in ongoing operations and when replacing cells – although the manufacturer does not elaborate on these.
A lease for the hall, which is about 7,500 square metres, has already been signed, and construction of the hall is scheduled to start in winter 2026. Cell assembly is to begin in 2028. The Assembly Hub is intended to serve European and European-adjacent electrolysis projects. The first cells manufactured there are intended for the "Onuba" project by Moeve.
The company plans to invest 10 to 14 million euros in the Assembly Hub. The project is supported by the Portuguese government with around 3.7 million euros as part of the COMPETE2030 programme. "By centralising and partially automating cell assembly, we increase our capacity and closely integrate assembly and service," says Dr. Werner Ponikwar, CEO of thyssenkrupp nucera.
