Westport Fuel Systems, a global leader in low-emissions alternative fuel transportation technologies, announced plans to expand its global manufacturing footprint in China in support of future growth of Westport’s H₂ componentry business and other alternative fuel system technologies. Westport is focusing on China for this manufacturing expansion as China leads the world in H₂ investment and infrastructure development. The investment agreement provides for the City of Changzhou to build the new H₂ innovation center and manufacturing facility in the Changzhou H₂ Valley.

“Westport’s GFI-branded H₂ 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 H₂ fuel,” said David M. Johnson, chief executive officer of Westport Fuel Systems. “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 H₂ as a prevailing low-emission transportation solution.”

“We are excited to be partnering with Westport to develop a state-of-the-art H₂ innovation center and manufacturing facility,” said Huan Heng, deputy mayor of Changzhou. “Changzhou H₂ Valley is an important hub in advancing H₂-fueled vehicles for China and the world at large. We are pleased to partner and support Westport, a global leader in H₂ and alternative-fuel solutions, in joining our growing community of innovative technology companies, and we look forward to our shared future growth.”

Under the terms of the investment agreement, Westport and Changzhou will design and construct an ultra-modern manufacturing facility for H₂ 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 H₂ 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 MM over the next ten years is intended to enable production of established H₂ componentry to support the fast-growing H₂-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 H₂ 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 H₂ technology advancement worldwide.