Plan for ‘Largest’ Green Energy Fab In Australia

• FFI has announced a Global Green Energy Manufacturing Centre in Queensland to produce electrolyzers and green energy products, including solar cells
• Planned to be a multi-GW facility, it will have specialist production lines with stage I expected to have 2 GW annual capacity
• The company has also joined hands with Incitec Pivot to conduct feasibility study for green ammonia production
• Plans with Incitec Pivot include construction of an electrolysis plant on site in Queensland to generate up to 50,000 tons of green hydrogen annually

Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) of Australia says it plans to establish what would be the world's 'largest' electrolyzer, renewable energy and equipment fab in Queensland state with an initial capacity of 2 GW per annum, under stage I of the 6-stage project.

The Global Green Energy Manufacturing Centre (GEM) wants to have specialist production lines including for the manufacturing of wind turbines, long-range electric cabling, solar PV cells, electrolyzers and associated infrastructure, depending on FFI and its customers' requirements.

The project is estimated to cost around AUD 1 billion or more, with initial electrolyzer investment as up to AUD 114 million. The initial batch of electrolyzers is scheduled for production in early 2023.

FFI CEO Julie Shuttleworth AM said, "Our manufacturing arm, starting with electrolyzers and expanding to all other required green industry products, will herald great potential for green manufacturing and employment in regional Australia."

Green ammonia production

The Australian company followed up the news with plans to enter into another large-scale project for green hydrogen generation for green ammonia production, also in Queensland. With Australian fertilizer supplier Incitec Pivot, FFI will conduct a feasibility study to 'convert their ammonia-production facility at Gibson Island in Brisbane to run on green, renewable hydrogen. Currently, the facility uses natural gas as a feedstock'.

FFI plans to construct an electrolysis plant on site in Queensland to generate up to 50,000 tons of green hydrogen annually to be utilized for green ammonia production. The feasibility study results are expected by the end of 2021.

Green ammonia thus produced could be supplied to the Port of Brisbane and Brisbane airport, according to FFI that believes this project can create a new domestic and export market for green ammonia.

"This project will create Australia's first green ammonia industry and will enable the decarbonization of some of the hardest-to-decarbonize parts of industry, like cargo ships and iron ore bulk carriers," FFI Chairman and Founder Dr. Andrew Forrest AO added, "Not only will this create more jobs, but it will prove that existing infrastructure can be retrofitted to generate a zero-emissions energy source."

By 2030, FFI aims to generate 15 million tons of green hydrogen annually, scaling it up to 50 million tons by 2040, as the company targets to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The company recently announced acquisition of majority stake in Dutch HyET Group through which it will explore setting up 1 GW thin film solar fab in Australia (see FFI Acquires Majority Stake Dutch HyET Group).