Fortescue, a leading mining and green energy company, inaugurated Australia’s premier manufacturing facility for hydrogen electrolysers on Monday.
Situated in Gladstone, Queensland, the state-of-the-art facility spans 15,000 square meters and has an initial capacity to produce 2 gigawatts per year of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser stacks.
Mark Hutchinson, CEO of Fortescue Energy, emphasized that the facility positions Fortescue as an original equipment manufacturer, with the capability to produce electrolysers designed in-house by Fortescue teams in Australia and the US.
He noted the increasing global demand for green hydrogen and the crucial role of electrolysers in its production, especially amidst the growing emphasis on decarbonization.
The electrolyser facility, boasting the world’s first integrated automated assembly line, marks the initial phase of Fortescue’s broader Green Energy Manufacturing Centre on the Gladstone site.
Future phases will encompass a hydrogen system testing facility and the PEM50 green hydrogen project, which recently received approval from Queensland’s Coordinator General.
The PEM50 project, a 50-megawatt green hydrogen production facility, will utilize locally manufactured PEM electrolysers to produce green hydrogen for both domestic and international markets, positioning Fortescue as a pioneer in commercial-scale green hydrogen production.
These projects are expected to generate significant employment opportunities, with 240 jobs during construction and 93 ongoing operational jobs, in addition to supporting over 300 indirect local jobs as the energy precinct expands.
Premier Steven Miles commended Fortescue’s initiative, highlighting the significance of the facility as Australia’s largest manufacturer of hydrogen electrolysers and a major contributor to the country’s burgeoning green energy sector.
Andrew Forrest, Fortescue’s executive chairperson, expressed pride in the company’s pioneering role in the green energy sector and acknowledged the support of both the Queensland and federal governments in establishing the facility.
He emphasized the transformative potential of the initiative, foreseeing the creation of thousands of new green energy jobs and the establishment of a thriving manufacturing industry in Australia.
