Estonian company Stargate Hydrogen opened its new factory in Tallinn. The facility, dedicated to the production of innovative alkaline electrolysis stacks and systems, positions Stargate Hydrogen as a major industrial player in the green hydrogen landscape.   

“There are currently several electrolyser gigafactories out there that are standing idle and burning through incredible amounts of capital. We have chosen a different strategy, scaling up modularly to meet the growing demand as it rises and when our next-generation innovations are launched to the market,” said Marko Virkebau, CEO of Stargate Hydrogen.

“Currently, our production is fully booked until the end of 2025, and we see increasing demand from our existing customers in Europe and new customers from the Middle East and Asia,“ Virkebau added.

Deliveries from the new factory have begun

This project has been co-funded by the Republic of Estonia through the revenue from the Emissions Trading Scheme. In the first phase, the new factory can deliver 140 MW of alkaline electrolysers annually, which can be expanded to 1 GW with minor additional investments.

“Currently, our production is fully booked until the end of 2025, and we see increasing demand from our existing customers in Europe and new customers from the Middle East and Asia.”
Marko Virkebau, CEO of Stargate Hydrogen

With support from European investors and IPCEI status (Important Projects of Common European Interest), Stargate Hydrogen is now well positioned to reduce the cost of green hydrogen and help decarbonise critical sectors, including steel, fertilisers, and chemicals. Deliveries from the new factory have already started to the existing customers of the company in the European, Middle Eastern, Turkish and Indian markets.

“Stargate Hydrogen’s IPCEI project stands as an outstanding example of how professionally managed public support can catalyse meaningful industrial innovation. Facilities like this and the material innovation undertaken by Stargate are exactly what we need to build the hydrogen economy in Europe, and stay competitive, sustainable, and sovereign in the clean energy transition,” said Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe.

Stargate Hydrogen is gradually scaling up production

When many companies are scaling down or even ending their operations, Stargate Hydrogen is going against the tide and expanding its operations via a gradual and financially sustainable scale-up strategy.

According to the CEO of Stargate Hydrogen, Marko Virkebau, the company is not opening an empty factory — instead, they have adopted a smart, future-oriented approach of gradually scaling up production with modularity at its core. Rather than burdening taxpayers and shareholders with the costs of an oversized and underutilised plant, Stargate Hydrogen has chosen a brownfield site with a flexible floor plan to ensure the best use of space and avoid large upfront investments.

The event of the company´s new plant brought together prominent policymakers, including the Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal, industry pioneers, and international partners. Held in the company’s production hall, the event’s main stage was surrounded by products in ongoing assembly, for example the turn-key electrolyser system destined for Fortum and several stacks ready for delivery.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Stargate Hydrogen was founded in 2021 to make green hydrogen affordable for hard-to-decarbonise industries like steel, fertilisers, and chemicals.
• The company’s focus: improve electrolyser efficiency and cut costs using novel ceramic catalysts and patented stack design.
• With € 50 M in funding from strong investors and IPCEI status, Stargate is scaling production to 140 MW annually.
• Their list of customers includes Fortum, Utilitas, ABB, Rockfin, and others across Europe, Turkey and India.

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