New facility features EV compressor line, refrigerant R&D center, and workforce training academy.
TCCI Manufacturing has opened its new Clean Energy Innovation Hub in Decatur, Illinois—a $45 million, 260,000-square-foot public-private initiative aimed at advancing electric vehicle (EV) compressor production, workforce development, and natural refrigerant technologies. The project is the first to launch under the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois Act (REV).
The new facility houses three core components: an electric vehicle compressor production line, the Clean Energy Workforce Academy, and the forthcoming Climatic Center for Innovation & Research (CCIR), expected to open in 2026. EV compressor manufacturing will begin in the coming weeks, with products aimed at supporting North American supply chain resilience through onshoring of key thermal management components.
In partnership with Richland Community College, TCCI is also launching the Clean Energy Workforce Academy this fall. The program will train students in areas such as natural refrigerants, sustainable HVAC systems, and EV thermal management, offering hands-on experience in refrigerant system validation. It will support pathways from high school to associate degrees and certifications.
The Climatic Center for Innovation & Research will focus on testing next-generation natural refrigerant technologies and sustainable thermal systems. The Illinois EPA announced a $650,000 matching grant to expand the CCIR’s capabilities, which will include real-world HVAC simulations and compliance testing for evolving energy standards. The center will also feature one of the few publicly accessible EPA-certified, three-axle, 2,200-hp electric chassis dynamometers for testing heavy-duty vehicle technologies.
“From workforce development to innovation to manufacturing expansion, we are building an engine of opportunity,” said Governor JB Pritzker during the ribbon-cutting event. “This has been years in the making, and it took collaboration to get here.”
TCCI President Richard Demirjian added, “We’re proud to be onshoring critical thermal management technology development to the United States, while supporting workforce development, and building a global hub for research and innovation.”
The hub also hosted an Illinois Clean Energy Leadership Roundtable on the day of the opening, where stakeholders discussed strategies for decarbonization, workforce readiness, and scaling clean energy technologies across the state.