Construction starts on FFI electrolyser facility in Australia
The electrolyser facility will see Gladstone become a world-leading hub for the manufacture of electrolysers.
Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) today (28th February) has started building on the first stage of the world’s largest electrolyser facility in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia.
Green Energy Manufacturing Centre (GEM) will be powered by green energy and become a major new pollution-free green manufacturing hub.
The first stage will see an investment of A$114 million (US$83 million) in the electrolyser facility, which will be expanded further. The GEM has several growth stages already planned into its factory footprint, including green manufacturing technology such as cables, batteries, wind turbines and solar panels.
The electrolyser facility will have an initial capacity of 2 GW/year which is more than doubling current global production and enough to produce more than 200k tonnes/year of green hydrogen.
FFI is targeting the production of 15 million tonnes/year of green hydrogen by 2030 – the equivalent of removing 60 million diesel fuel cars off the road this decade.
The first electrolysers manufactured at the facility in early 2023 are earmarked to be used in Queensland at FFI’s proposed green hydrogen to ammonia project at Gibson Island.
The multi-gigawatt-scale electrolyser factory is a 50-50 joint venture between FFI and Plug Power Inc. The facility will help create hundreds of new direct and indirect jobs in regional Queensland.
Dr Andrew Forrest, FFI Chairman, said, “The GEM will become an epicentre for Queensland’s green hydrogen ambitions, building on Gladstone’s skilled workforce and great foresight in industrial master-planning including a world class port.”
Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, commented, “As a result of this project and others like it, Gladstone will become a world leading hub for the manufacture of electrolysers – vital to the production of renewable hydrogen.”
Deputy Premier Steven Miles noted, “The 100-hectare site in Gladstone is the ideal location for the first electrolyser manufacturing hub in Australia,” Mr Miles said.”
Julie Shuttleworth, FFI CEO, added, “The electrolyser facility is set to be complete by early next year and will quickly scale up to meet the growing demand for electrolysers.”
