Tallinn, Estonia, 15 March 2021  Elcogen, a leading European solid oxide fuel cell manufacturer, headquartered in Estonia, is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Mainor Ülemiste AS to develop a 50 MW solid oxide fuel cell and stack (200 MW solid oxide electrolysis cell) production facility at the Ülemiste City business campus in Tallinn.

The specifications for the 10,000 m² production facility have already been agreed and construction will begin at the site in the Suur-Sõjamäe district of the city in the summer of 2021. The work is scheduled to last 12 months at an estimated cost of €6.3 million. Elcogen will invest approximately €20 million in production equipment.

Ülemiste City is the largest and fastest growing Smart City in the Baltics. It is being developed by Mainor AS, Mainor Ülemiste AS and Technopolis Ülemiste AS and is home to nearly 500 companies. More than 12,000 people work, study and live there every day.

Currently, Elcogen’s activity in Tallinn consists of research and development in a concept plant so the new factory will be the Company’s first mass manufacturing facility in the city, as well as the first major cleantech project at the business park, signifying a major next step for fuel cell technology in Estonia and Europe more broadly.

Enn Õunpuu, founder and CEO of Elcogen, said: “This is the world’s first dedicated mass production project for our Solid Oxide fuel cell and electrolyser technology. Signing this agreement with Mainor Ülemiste to develop the production plant means we will be able to begin manufacturing our technology at 50 MW scale for fuel cell applications or 200 MW for electrolyser applications.

“We have excellent existing relationships with our customers and are confident of significant demand from the market for the SOFC/SOEC cells and stacks we will build at the new factory. Our customers include several leading industrial and energy companies in Europe and Asia who are bringing energy production and storage solutions based on Elcogen technology to market.

“This is an exciting next step for our business, and we look forward to working with Mainor Ülemiste to realise our vision.”

Teet Raudsep, Member of the Board of Mainor Ülemiste, commented: “We are happy that our long-term cooperation has developed so strongly and Elcogen is paving the way to lead its field in the world. We have wished to bring smart production to our campus for years, and it will be of great value to our environment.”

Ursel Velve, Chief Innovation Officer in Ülemiste City and Chairman of the Management Board of Mainor Ülemiste added: “We are very proud that this unique clean tech technology is developed right here in our community together with Estonian scientists. We value very highly innovation and the mindset that comes with it. Elcogen is a great example of that by hopefully in the near future changing the energy consumption of our buildings or electric car charging stations to be up to two to three times more efficient and greener.”