Westport Fuel Systems plans to expand its global manufacturing footprint in China in support of future growth of Westport’s hydrogen componentry business and other alternative fuel system technologies. Westport is focusing on China for this manufacturing expansion as China leads the world in hydrogen investment and infrastructure development.

The investment agreement provides for the City of Changzhou to build the new hydrogen innovation center and manufacturing facility in the Changzhou Hydrogen Valley.

Westport’s GFI-branded hydrogen fuel system components have had a strong presence in the Chinese marketplace for over ten years, these components support both fuel cell and internal combustion engine applications that use hydrogen fuel. The city of Changzhou is dedicated to becoming the capital of new energy industries, making them an ideal partner for growth and providing the opportunity to establish manufacturing excellence on a regional basis, which in turn supports our global customers accelerating hydrogen as a prevailing low-emission transportation solution.

—David M. Johnson, CEO of Westport Fuel Systems

Under the terms of the investment agreement, Westport and Changzhou will design and construct a manufacturing facility for hydrogen fuel systems, and office space specifically to meet Westport’s advanced manufacturing requirements. The Changzhou site is expected to also include a contemporary innovation center that will provide continued focus on hydrogen solutions in support of Westport’s mission to develop innovative, specialized, and market-ready emission-reduction solutions.

Westport’s plan to invest up to $10 million over the next ten years is intended to enable production of established hydrogen componentry to support the fast-growing hydrogen-fueled vehicles targeted to be on the road in China.

The new Westport facility is planned to be in operation in 2024 supporting Westport’s current and growing customer base with key hydrogen components for a variety of applications including commercial vehicles, buses, high-speed trains, material handling, stationary power generation and more. Westport’s investment in Changzhou is a steppingstone to continued hydrogen technology advancement around the world.