Fortescue starts building hydrogen electrolyser plant that will double global production

Fortescue Future Industries has begun construction of what it says will be the world’s largest electrolyser manufacturing facility in Gladstone, Queensland, the first stage of a massive plant that could also make wind turbines, solar panels, batteries and cables.

Fortescue Future Industries, the newly created green energy part of Andrew Forrest’s iron ore empire Fortescue Metals, and a key component of his massive and highly ambitious green hydrogen plans, says the firsts electrolysers will roll off the factory floor in 2023.

They will be used in FFI’s planned green hydrogen facility at Gibson Island.

The hydrogen component of the Green Energy Manufacturing Centre at Gladstone is part of a previously announced deal with US-based Plug Power to manufacture its technology in Australia.

FFI says the electrolyser facility will have an initial capacity of two gigawatts per annum – more than doubling current global production, and enough to produce more than 200,000 tonnes of green hydrogen each year.

Forest and FFI, however, have plans to create 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen a year by 2030, an ambition that would require more than 200GW of new wind and solar capacity, in Australia or elsewhere in the world.

The announcement came as Forrest announced his privately owned Squadron Energy had bought the massive Clark Creek wind, solar and battery hub in central Queensland, and would start construction of the first 450MW wind stage immediately.

FFI says GEM will be powered by green energy and become a major new pollution free green manufacturing hub, and will create hundreds of jobs.

The first stage, costing some $A114 million will be expanded as current demand indications crystalise. “The GEM has several growth stages already planned into its factory footprint which includes green manufacturing technology such as cables, batteries, wind turbines and solar panels,” it said.

“FFI’s goal is to become the world’s leading, integrated, fully renewable energy and green products company, powering the Australian economy and creating jobs for Australians as the world transitions away from fossil fuels.”

Forrest said in a statement that the world is moving on from fossil fuels and the green industrial revolution is underway.

“Fortescue Future Industries’ game changing electrolyser facility in Gladstone is putting Queensland at the centre of this revolution, which is creating an entirely new industry and thousands of multi-generational jobs for Australians,” Dr Forrest said.

FFI CEO Julie Shuttleworth AM said the global demand for electrolysers is expected to soar as the world transitions to new energy sources.

“Fortescue Future Industries is ahead of the curve. The electrolyser facility is set to be complete by early next year and will quickly scale up to meet the growing demand for electrolysers. We plan to manufacture other renewable energy components in future expansions,”  Shuttleworth said.

She said further stages of GEM will be delivered in specialist production lines according to the requirements of FFI and its customers, and could include the manufacture of wind turbines, high-voltage electric cabling, solar photovoltaic cells, modules and arrays, and associated renewable energy infrastructure.