New 'Gigafactory' Coming To Plymouth Township, Creating 517 Jobs

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, MI — A new $400 million "gigafactory" is coming to Plymouth Township, bringing more than 500 good-paying clean energy manufacturing jobs, according to a news release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office.

Nel Hydrogen, a Norwegian hydrogen company, is planning to build a 507,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will be used to build components for hydrogen production.

No details on where exactly the factory will be built, or when construction will start were released.

Through electrolysis, hydrogen can be produced from water and renewable energy. As the most abundant and lightest element in the universe, hydrogen can play a significant role in accelerating Michigan’s clean-energy transition away from fossil fuels.

After considering numerous states across the U.S., Nel CEO Håkon Volldal said the company chose Michigan thanks to the engagement from Governor Whitmer, in addition to what the state could offer, from its highly skilled workforce and financial incentives to the collaboration among the state’s universities, research institutions and strategic partners.

"Plymouth Charter Township is an ideal location for Nel. Here, we have access to a highly educated workforce, universities and research institutions, and we are close to our collaborating partner, General Motors," Volldal said. "In addition, the Government and the authorities of Michigan have provided a very attractive financial support package for us."