Fortescue Races Ahead With Electrolyser Manufacturing Plans In Australia

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Fortescue Future Industries which is building what it claims will be the world’s biggest plant for green hydrogen electrolysers, has confirmed approvals for the same within a month from the Queensland, Australia government.

The  Andrew Forrest owned Fortescue may also include a gigawatt scale solar module factory and other production facilities.

The facility will have an initial investment of $114 million, with construction to begin in February and the first electrolysers to be produced in 2023.

Fortescue has been active in the green hydrogen space, announcing tie-ups and acquisitions across the US, Europe, Brazil and more recently. Success and quick progress in these markets might even speed up its partnerships in India, where it has a partnership in place with the JSW group.

With an initial capacity to manufacture up to two gigawatts (GW) of electrolysers annually, the Fortescue plans are on course to be the

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The firm has plans to produce 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, expandable to 50 million tonnes later. That means a massive requirement for renewable energy to power the electrolysers, at between 2-3 GW per electrolyser.

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For Australia, these massive green hydrogen plans are vital to scrub its own emissions and image as a laggard when it comes to setting net zero goals or doing enough for the environment. As the world’s largest coal exporter, the country has pushed back against a faster phase out, even as it seeks to find a way to maintain its status as an energy exporter.

Other massive projects like the Suncable project seek to export electricity directly from the continent to markets like Singapore, with huge solar plus wind energy plants of upto 26 GW.