Clean energy company First Mode is building a 45,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Sodo.
The company, which moved its headquarters to London earlier this year but still has the majority of its employees in Seattle, will make zero-emission power plants to replace diesel engines in mining haul trucks.
The factory, set to begin operations later this year, comes after First Mode earlier this year merged with nuGen, the clean energy division of global mining company Anglo American, and entered a supply agreement to retrofit and decarbonize about 400 Anglo American haul trucks over the next 15 years.
“Our First Mode manufacturing facility is a crucial step towards fulfilling our mission to eliminate diesel from heavy industry,” First Mode CEO Julian Soles said in a release.
The new facility will be at 3417 First Ave. S. and have 80 full-time employees once it's fully operational, a spokesperson said.
The factory will make parts to retrofit 36 trucks annually. First Mode said it will also serve as validation for its manufacturing process and allow the company to add more manufacturing elsewhere.
The new facility will be in addition to First Mode's existing spaces in Pioneer Square and Sodo, totaling around 90,000 square feet. The company has its engineering headquarters at 542 First Ave. S. and a research and development facility just north of the 2400 block of Occidental, the spokesperson said.
First Mode was founded in 2018 and focuses on clean energy for heavy industry. The company closed its $1.5 billion merger with nuGen in January. Anglo American invested $200 million into First Mode as part of the deal and took a majority stake in the company. First Mode founders and shareholders hold the remaining balance. First Mode's product development remains in Seattle despite the headquarters moving to London as part of the deal.
First Mode co-founder and former CEO Chris Voorhees moved into the chief product and technology officer role as part of the deal. Soles, previously Anglo American's head of technology development, become First Mode's CEO.
The company initially focused on deep space exploration but has also been working with Anglo American for about five years. Voorhees previously told the Business Journal that First Mode is putting its space efforts aside for now.
The factory's first engines will go to a testing site in Centralia. The company launched a hydrogen-powered haul truck at an Anglo American mine in South Africa in May 2022 as a proof of concept. The truck started operating in Anglo American's commercial fleet in December. First Mode also has a presence in Perth, Australia.
“We’re incredibly pleased that First Mode is establishing its first manufacturing facility in Seattle,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a news release. “We look forward to how this state-of-the-art facility helps First Mode achieve its mission of decarbonizing heavy industry, brings clean energy jobs to our city and builds a more sustainable future.”
