Blog
Blog | 2 min read
Greater Richmond claims STEM Impact Award for Topsoe
January 15, 2025
Business Facilities magazine, a leading source for economic development news, announces winners of its annual Impact Awards every January. The publication’s most recent awards highlight projects announced within the 2024 calendar year across 20 categories.
Danish manufacturer Topsoe claimed the 2024 Impact Award in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) category. Topsoe announced in May it would establish a new manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County and create 150 new jobs. The $400 million facility is Topsoe’s largest U.S. investment.
A global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, Topsoe will manufacture Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOEC) which are essential to produce clean hydrogen energy. The company also plans to launch an annual scholarship program to support local high school seniors looking to continue STEM education in college. “In addition to the economic benefits that our facility would bring to the area,” says Topsoe CEO Roeland Baan, “we’re investing in STEM education to help the next generation of students prepare for the booming American clean energy economy.”
The Greater Richmond Partnership (GRP) worked alongside the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Chesterfield County to secure Topsoe’s investment.
“Topsoe’s $400 million investment in a clean energy facility is unlike anything the region’s seen from an international firm,” says Jennifer Wakefield, GRP President + CEO. “Coupled with 150 new jobs and STEM scholarships, Topsoe is poised to become a partner for social good in the Richmond Region and beyond.”
Watch Jessica Olson, Topsoe’s Head of Global Affairs for the Americas, describe the company’s operations and plans for its Chesterfield County facility during GRP’s 2024 Annual Meeting:
