Unimicron, a leading high-tech manufacturer, strikes deal to enhance its energy security and make progress on decarbonization
SAN JOSE, Calif.– December 30, 2022 – Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE) has entered into an agreement with Unimicron, a chip substrate and printed circuit board maker (PCB), to deploy up to 10MW of fuel cells at Unimicron plants in Taiwan. The installations will begin in 2023 and be completed by 2026. With this, Bloom Energy will have deployed its solid oxide fuel-cell based Energy Server™ in four Asian countries.
“Bloom’s superior energy technology capabilities are attractive to companies that need reliable power,” said Tim Schweikert, Senior Managing Director, International Business Development, Bloom Energy. “That is particularly true of semiconductor fabs, which must meet a global demand for their products that shows no signs of abating. Bloom’s fuel-flexible platform can fill Unimicron’s needs today, with fuels that are available now, and they can transition to renewable fuels and hydrogen as those sources become more widely available.”
Reliable, high-quality power is critical to manufacturing operations particularly in the semiconductor and PCB operations because of the global demand for their products and the cost of electric power relative to their bottom line. Manufacturing facilities are also carbon intensive. Taiwan has set ambitious decarbonization goals for its industries. Bloom’s Energy Server, which can produce electricity from a variety of fuels without combustion, can play an important role in Taiwan’s decarbonization.
Bloom’s energy platform can be configured to create a microgrid that can operate alongside an electricity grid, or independently of it. When powered by a fuel source with an underground pipeline system, such as natural gas, they are less susceptible to the impacts of extreme weather, enabling safe, continuous operation and avoiding the costly consequences of unplanned downtime. Bloom’s technology also enables customers to plan against price volatility by locking in a large portion of their electricity cost, with multiple financing options and flexible term lengths.
Bloom unveiled a multi-gigawatt manufacturing plant in Fremont, California in July 2022 to meet growing demand for its technology. The $200 million investment created a state-of-the-art, 164,000 square foot facility followed the opening of a new research center and a global hydrogen development facility in Fremont, bringing Bloom’s footprint there to more than 524,000 square feet. In addition, Bloom added a high-volume commercial line for electrolyzers at its Newark, Delaware facility, increasing the company’s electrolyzers generating capacity to two gigawatts. The award-winning technology is the most energy-efficient design to produce clean hydrogen to date.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will” and “would” or the negative of these words or similar terms or expressions that concern Bloom’s expectations, strategy, priorities, plans or intentions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, Bloom’s expectations regarding the collaboration with Unimicron, including plans to install solid oxide fuel cells sites selected by Unimicron, any expected benefits from the collaboration with Unimicron, such as carbon emissions reductions, increased energy efficiency, or satisfying any clean energy or power savings requirements by the Republic of China or regulatory agencies, progress towards any net-zero emissions, decarbonization or energy independence goals, and the cost, safety and availability of power provided by the microgrid. More information on potential risks and uncertainties that may impact Bloom’s business are set forth in Bloom’s periodic reports filed with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2022, and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2022, August 9, 2022 and November 3, 2022, respectively, as well as subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC from time to time. Bloom assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements.
About Bloom Energy
Bloom Energy empowers businesses and communities to responsibly take charge of their energy. The company’s leading solid oxide platform for distributed generation of electricity and hydrogen is changing the future of energy. Fortune 100 companies around the world turn to Bloom Energy as a trusted partner to deliver lower carbon energy today and a net-zero future. For more information, visit www.bloomenergy.com.
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