The US hydrogen and fuel cell specialist Plug Power is locating its European headquarters in North Rhine-Westphalia. This was announced by Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh and NRW Economics Minister Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart during a joint meeting in Washington D.C.. Minister Pinkwart: "Hydrogen is a key factor for the climate-friendly transformation of our industry and the transport sector. That is why we are honored that Plug Power has chosen the Ruhr region, Germany's industrial heartland."
Operations at a 6,500 m² innovation center are scheduled to start as early as the beginning of 2022, creating around 60 jobs in engineering laboratories, technical customer support, and logistics and training.
Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power: "The expansion into Europe comes as Plug Power is faced with a growing customer base abroad as interest in green hydrogen energy grows. Green hydrogen serves as a critical factor in the transition away from our reliance on fossil fuels, and Plug Power is well positioned to meet the needs of customers who are ready to make the change."
At the same time, Minister Pinkwart also gave the go-ahead in Washington D.C. for NRW.Global Business's new international location marketing campaign with which the state aims to attract investors to North Rhine-Westphalia. Under the motto "Europe's Heartbeat," North Rhine-Westphalia is promoting the location in the heart of Europe in print media such as the Washington Post and on social media. The campaign will be further developed internationally and throughout NRW to appeal to international investors in key regions and to generate enthusiasm for the strengths of the location.