Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), the green energy arm of Andrew Forrest’s iron ore giant, is set to begin production of Australian-made hydrogen electrolysers this year at its newly constructed Gladstone facility in Queensland.
FFI recently completed the construction of Australia’s first electrolyser manufacturing plant and is currently fitting out its automated production line. FFI CEO Mark Hutchinson announced that the company had completed its first polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) prototype, marking a significant milestone for FFI’s green hydrogen ambitions. The Gladstone production facility aims to produce 2GW of electrolyser capacity annually and supply projects both in Australia and internationally.
Hutchinson has reiterated that FFI has at least five major hydrogen projects worldwide that could reach financial investment decisions by the end of 2023. These include two projects in the US, one in Kenya, one in Brazil, and one in Norway, and a proposal to convert an existing gas-fed ammonia facility at Gibson Island into a renewables-fed green ammonia facility.
FFI’s chief also highlighted the need for the Australian government to seek to match at least some of the incentives and support mechanisms provided by the US government’s Inflation Reduction Act, which are being matched by the EU and governments worldwide.
The Australian-made PEM technology will be a key part of FFI’s Gladstone facility, which still aims to produce 2GW of electrolyser capacity a year, supplying projects in Australia and around the world. Hutchinson has said that FFI will ramp up production over the next few years and will be dealing with different suppliers in different situations around the world.
Despite the need to import from other suppliers, FFI is confident that its technology will develop rapidly over the next few years as the industry scales up. The successful production of the PEM prototype will likely accelerate the development of Australia’s green hydrogen industry and provide a sustainable energy source that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
