Close Menu
Energy NewsEnergy News
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • Hydrogen
    • Energy Storage
    • Grid
    • SMR
    • Projects
    • Production
    • Transport
    • Research
  • SPOTLIGHT
    • Interviews
    • Face 2 Face
    • Podcast
    • Webinars
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Reviews
    • Events
  • REGIONAL
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle east
    • Pacific
  • COMMUNITY
  • ABOUT
    • Advisory Board
    • Contact us
    • Report Your News
    • Advertize
    • Subscribe
LinkedIn X (Twitter) YouTube Facebook
Trending
  • Thyssenkrupp Nucera Advances 600-MW Green Hydrogen Project
  • Ineratec Launches Europe’s Largest Green Hydrogen E-Fuels Plant, Era One
  • TotalEnergies Acquires Solar and Battery Storage Pipeline from Low Carbon
  • NuScale’s NRC Approval Sets Stage for America’s Next Generation SMR Power Solutions
  • Yunnan’s Baochi Energy Storage Station Pioneers Grid-Forming Sodium-Ion Battery System
  • Why Physics Dooms the “Green Hydrogen” Fuel Dream
  • NEOM Green Hydrogen Project 80% Completed
  • Green Hydrogen – Pillar of European Industrial Policy but Not Without Challenges
LinkedIn X (Twitter) YouTube Facebook
Energy NewsEnergy News
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • Hydrogen
    • Energy Storage
    • Grid
    • SMR
    • Projects
    • Production
    • Transport
    • Research
  • SPOTLIGHT
    • Interviews
    • Face 2 Face
    • Podcast
    • Webinars
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Reviews
    • Events
  • REGIONAL
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle east
    • Pacific
  • COMMUNITY
  • ABOUT
    • Advisory Board
    • Contact us
    • Report Your News
    • Advertize
    • Subscribe
Energy NewsEnergy News
Home Home - Featured
Fortescue’s Hydrogen Future in Peril Amid Court Battle

Fortescue’s Hydrogen Future in Peril Amid Court Battle

Arnes BiogradlijaBy Arnes Biogradlija12/08/20243 Mins Read
Share
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email WhatsApp Telegram

Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and its green hydrogen ambitions are under severe scrutiny as the company faces a fierce legal dispute with rival, Element Zero. This battle could significantly impact FMG’s future investment viability.

Fortescue has brought allegations against Element Zero, a competitor founded by former FMG employees, for purportedly stealing proprietary technology. Among the defendants are Element Zero CEO Michael Masterman and scientists Bart Kolodziejczyk and Bjorn Winther-Jensen. According to Fortescue, without their technological secrets, Element Zero could not have developed a functional green-iron prototype.

The mining giant itself isn’t without blame; it faces accusations of aggressive spying on these former employees, putting its ethical practices into question. Recently, Fortescue’s share price fell by 16.8% as the company shed 700 workers and faced setbacks in iron ore production. Despite this, baby boomers continue to invest heavily in FMG, trusting in its long-term potential.

Green iron, or using hydrogen instead of coal to refine iron ore, presents a revolutionary low-carbon process. While promising, the technology has been in development since 2004 without commercial success. Fortescue has invested significantly in this technology and accused Element Zero of hampering their plans by misappropriating intellectual property.

In an aggressive move, Fortescue used secret court orders to raid the homes of former employees and the offices of Element Zero, seizing around three terabytes of data. Although much of it was claimed to be unrelated to the case, the stolen data was crucial for Fortescue’s claims. However, this extreme level of surveillance raised ethical concerns, including stalking behaviors and spying on properties not listed in the search orders.

Uncertainty Over Green Hydrogen

Green hydrogen technology, despite its green credentials, faces significant economic and technological hurdles. Energy efficiency and infrastructure costs make hydrogen a less viable competitor compared to battery technology. Hydrogen fuel cells only achieve about 25-30% efficiency compared to batteries, which use about 70% of the original energy from the source. Additionally, substantial investment would be required to upgrade existing gas pipelines for hydrogen use.

FMG, led by Andrew Forrest, has not completely abandoned its hydrogen ambitions but has delayed its green hydrogen plans in the NSW Upper Hunter area, leading to job losses and industry concerns. This delay is due to high power costs, which make hydrogen production uneconomical when compared to fossil fuels.

While Fortescue focuses on hydrogen and green steel, advancements in battery technologies and alternative storage systems like thermal batteries may present more competitive and economically feasible solutions. Mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP are also exploring electric smelters that rely on renewable energy, signaling a potential shift away from hydrogen.

Share. LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Related Posts

Thyssenkrupp

Thyssenkrupp Nucera Advances 600-MW Green Hydrogen Project

04/06/2025
Hydrogen

Ineratec Launches Europe’s Largest Green Hydrogen E-Fuels Plant, Era One

04/06/2025
TotalEnergies Acquires Solar and Battery Storage Pipeline from Low Carbon

TotalEnergies Acquires Solar and Battery Storage Pipeline from Low Carbon

04/06/2025
NuScale's NRC Approval Sets Stage for America's Next Generation SMR Power Solutions

NuScale’s NRC Approval Sets Stage for America’s Next Generation SMR Power Solutions

04/06/2025
hydrogen

Yunnan’s Baochi Energy Storage Station Pioneers Grid-Forming Sodium-Ion Battery System

04/06/2025
Hydrogen

Why Physics Dooms the “Green Hydrogen” Fuel Dream

03/06/2025
Thyssenkrupp

Thyssenkrupp Nucera Advances 600-MW Green Hydrogen Project

04/06/2025
Hydrogen

Ineratec Launches Europe’s Largest Green Hydrogen E-Fuels Plant, Era One

04/06/2025
TotalEnergies Acquires Solar and Battery Storage Pipeline from Low Carbon

TotalEnergies Acquires Solar and Battery Storage Pipeline from Low Carbon

04/06/2025
NuScale's NRC Approval Sets Stage for America's Next Generation SMR Power Solutions

NuScale’s NRC Approval Sets Stage for America’s Next Generation SMR Power Solutions

04/06/2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news from the hydrogen market subscribe to our newsletter.

LinkedIn X (Twitter) Facebook YouTube

News

  • Inteviews
  • Webinars
  • Hydrogen
  • Spotlight
  • Regional

Company

  • Advertising
  • Media Kits
  • Contact Info
  • GDPR Policy

Subscriptions

  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Sponsored News

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news from EnergyNewsBiz about hydrogen.

© 2025 EnergyNews.biz
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Accessibility

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.