Through this partnership, Re:Build will assemble Ecolectro’s electrolysers, enabling rapid scaling and cost reductions for hydrogen production – an essential resource for hard-to-abate sectors such as refining, chemical production, transportation, heavy equipment, and industrial applications.
Ecolectro’s AEM electrolysers eliminate costly precious metals including iridium and toxic PFAS ‘forever chemicals,’ lowering production costs while delivering durability and efficiency. By producing hydrogen on-site, these systems reduce transportation and storage costs, allowing customers in many regions, depending on electricity prices, to achieve a levelised cost below US$2.50/kg, well under the US Department of Energy’s 2030 target of $3/kg.
“Renewable hydrogen is essential for decarbonising industries, but high production and distribution costs have been a significant barrier to adoption,” said Dr Gabriel G. Rodríguez-Calero, CEO and Co-Founder of Ecolectro. “This partnership with Re:Build accelerates manufacturing, helping us deploy our electrolysers at sites across the US to make renewable hydrogen a scalable, cost-effective solution for industrial use, fuelling stations, and energy storage. The partnership will allow us to deliver electrolysers today, while maintaining a customer-driven and disciplined approach to manufacturing.”
Re:Build and Ecolectro will produce initial electrolyser units at Re:Build’s industrial system design and fabrication site in Rochester, New York, US, facilities for demonstration projects and early sales, with details to be announced later in 2025. Full-scale commercial assembly will occur at Re:Build’s high-volume manufacturing facility in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, US, leveraging the state’s steel industry – a key supplier for Ecolectro’s stacks.
While Re:Build will handle the integration and assembly, Ecolectro will continue manufacturing its proprietary chemistry, membranes, and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in Ithaca, New York, expanding into a larger facility with support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), a critical early investor in the company. This collaboration creates jobs and strengthens clean energy manufacturing in the Appalachian region, driving industrial revitalisation and economic growth in both New York and Pennsylvania.
“High-tech manufacturing is the backbone of tomorrow’s economy, and it is critical that we develop robust domestic capabilities to support the next generation of hard-tech innovations,” said Miles Arnone, CEO of Re:Build Manufacturing. “This collaboration with Ecolectro underscores the importance of building US production capacity for solutions like renewable hydrogen, which will play a key role in shaping the clean energy future.”
Officials in Pittsburgh and New Kensington see the partnership as a major economic win for the region’s emerging clean energy sector.
Why on-site renewable hydrogen matters
Hydrogen transportation and storage costs can add US$5 – 7/kg, increasing expenses by over US$1 million annually for large users, Ecolectro’s AEM electrolysers can help eliminate these inefficiencies. In addition, on-site production enables safer operation, significant cost savings, and allows customers to leverage federal and state tax credits directly.
Ecolectro demonstrated this model with Liberty New York Gas through a pilot deployment in Massena, New York. The 10 kW system delivered hydrogen at less than $2.50/kg (at scale manufacturing costs), up to 80% lower than the cost of delivered hydrogen. As a result, Liberty is expanding its planned deployment as commercial manufacturing scales.
“Our AEM technology enables the lowest-cost, renewable hydrogen electrolysers available today,” said Dr Kristina Hugar, Ecolectro’s Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder. “After more than a decade of research at Cornell University and Ecolectro, we are confident that our innovation will bring the US closer to accessible and abundant hydrogen energy.”