Bloom Energy, producers of clean energy servers known as Bloom Boxes, recently broke ground on a new Bloom Energy Manufacturing Center in Newark, DE.
Located on the 272-acre site formerly occupied by a Chrysler assembly plant, and now owned by the University of Delaware, the Bloom Energy Manufacturing Center is expected to bring hundreds of 21st century manufacturing jobs to the region.
“Choosing a location for the facility that we are here to celebrate today was a very big decision for us,” said KR Sridhar, co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy.
Sridhar said Delaware’s business-friendly climate and the support of Gov. Jack Markell, the Delaware General Assembly and other state officials played a huge role in Bloom selecting the state as the site for its expansion.
“Once the Bloom Energy Manufacturing Center is completed, we will double Bloom Energy’s production capacity,” he added. “Delaware complements our California roots and strategically positions us to better serve our expanding customer base.”
At the groundbreaking for the Bloom Energy Manufacturing Center, Sridhar announced Bloom’s new customers, which include Owens Corning, Urban Outfitters, Delmarva Power, Washington Gas and AT&T, which already uses Bloom Energy Servers at its California facilities.
They join Fortune 500 companies such as Google, eBay, Wal-Mart, Staples and Coca-Cola that have already installed Bloom Energy Servers to generate clean power. Bloom Boxes use revolutionary solid oxide fuel cell technology that converts fuel to electricity using an electrochemical reaction, rather than combustion. As a result, customers can greatly reduce their carbon footprint while also cutting operating costs.
While praising Delaware’s strategic location and business-friendly environment, Sridhar stressed that Bloom Energy will continue to be headquartered in California, and will continue to manufacture Bloom Boxes at its growing Sunnyvale, CA plant, where more than 1000 jobs have been created.
“We are very pleased to be contributing in our own modest way to the continued leadership in innovation in this country, but perhaps even more importantly today, to marrying that innovation to creating manufacturing jobs in the United States,” said Sridhar.
“This factory should give hundreds of new employees a chance to put their energy into manufacturing products that will power homes and businesses across the east coast. It will combine the legacy of quality construction that marked the site for decades under Chrysler with a new legacy of research and innovation that will emerge from the University’s new Science, Technology and Advanced Research Campus. Some of the nation’s largest companies have turned to Bloom to serve their energy needs. We’re excited to see Bloom turning to Delaware to build those servers,” said Gov. Jack Markell.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Bloom Energy to UD’s Science, Technology and Advanced Research Campus,” said University of Delaware President Patrick Harker.
