3 min read - 10 Apr, 2026
ITM Power secures £86.5m funding for new 1GW manufacturing line
ITM Power has secured an £86.5m funding package, including a £40m investment from Great British Energy and a £46.5m grant from DESNZ, to support the expansion of its existing electrolyser site in Sheffield. This marks Great British Energy’s largest investment in clean, homegrown power to date.
The funds will enable the build-out of a new large-scale 1 GW automated manufacturing line for its next-generation Chronos electrolyser stack technology, underpinned by strong order momentum and a growing order backlog over the last 24 months.
The core of the project involves the procurement and installation of bespoke, automated production equipment essential for 1 GW of production capacity. This will include capital investments in catalyst-coated membrane manufacturing equipment, electrode welding, specialist coatings, and stack assembly lines, alongside cleanroom facilities. To ensure operational readiness and quality assurance, this will be complemented by the internal production and installation of modularised test systems, as well as the purchase of necessary validation materials.
The total investment over the next three years is expected to be around £120m, enabled by the £86.5m UK government support. Commercial operation of the manufacturing line is targeted for 2028.
ITM Power has secured an £86.5m funding package to support the build-out of a new large-scale 1 GW automated manufacturing line / Picture: ITM Power
ITM’s proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers use renewable electricity and water to create green hydrogen through a process called electrolysis. The hydrogen produced can be stored as a gas or liquid and can be released into the gas grid, be used as clean vehicle fuel, or in a host of industrial processes, significantly reducing emissions in logistics and heavy industry. PEM electrolysers can rapidly react to fluctuations typical of renewable power generation, making the technology ideally suited for grid balancing and meeting energy deficits.
Its current stack platform, Trident, will remain an important part of its technology suite. ITM will continue to manufacture and innovate Trident to serve its existing customers and long-term service agreements. The new Chronos line will use many of the existing processes that have been incrementally introduced to the Trident production line over the last five years, albeit on a larger scale.
According to ITM Power, Chronos, when formally launched, will set a new benchmark in electrolyser performance and cost. With superior energy efficiency and substantially lower cost, ITM says that Chronos will help to further grow its market share, speed up the industrial adoption of hydrogen, and accelerate its growth and path to profitability.
Dennis Schulz, CEO of ITM Power, said: “We are grateful for the confidence and support demonstrated by the UK government. Clean power increasingly underpins energy sovereignty and resilience, which are critical to long-term economic success against a backdrop of recent geopolitical instability.
“The UK government’s support, through a combination of equity participation and grant funding, marks a pivotal step in establishing ITM Power at the centre of the UK’s hydrogen economy and firmly positions us as a natural partner for projects in the UK. The funds will enable the build-out of large-scale domestic manufacturing of our next-generation Chronos platform, underpinning confidence in our technology and sustained growth.”
