Fortescue announces mega electrolyser manufacturing plant in Australia
GEM is expected to be an epicentre for Queensland’s green hydrogen ambitions, benefiting from the skilled workforce, ports, supportive State Government.
Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) will construct the world’s largest electrolyser, renewable industry and equipment manufacturing centre at Gladstone, Queensland, Australia.
The Global Green Energy Manufacturing centre (GEM) will be the first in a series of centres that will transform regional Australia by manufacturing equipment critical to the generation of renewable energy and green hydrogen.
The GEM will have specialist production lines, including wind turbines, solar photovoltaic cells, electrolysers, long-range electric cabling, electrification systems and associated infrastructure. The factory will make Queensland and Australia a manufacturing centre for green industry infrastructure for domestic use and export.
Stage one of the six-stage project will establish Australia’s first multi-gigawatt-scale electrolyser factory, with an initial capacity of 2 GW/year. Construction of GEM will commence in February 2022, following final approvals, with the first electrolysers scheduled off the production line in early 2023.
The investment could be up to US$ 650 million, whereas the initial electrolyser investment is expected to be US$ 83 million.
Julie Shuttleworth, CEO of FFI, said, “Our manufacturing arm, starting with electrolysers and expanding to all other required green industry products, will herald great potential for green manufacturing and employment in regional Australia.”
Dr Andrew Forrest, FFI Chairman and Founder, said, “This initiative is a critical step in Fortescue’s transition from a significant and successful pure-play iron ore producer, to a significant and successful integrated renewables and green resources powerhouse.”
