Fortescue officially opens Gladstone electrolyser facility

The 15 000 m² advanced manufacturing facility, constructed and fully commissioned in just over 2 years, will have capacity to produce over 2 GW of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser stacks annually.

Fortescue Executive Chair and Founder, Dr Andrew Forrest AO, said: “We are grateful for the Queensland and Federal Government’s vision and early support to help get us started. Together we have laid the cornerstone for what will be a massive new manufacturing industry in Australia creating the potential for thousands of new green energy jobs.”

Fortescue Energy CEO, Mark Hutchinson, said the Gladstone facility, which produces electrolysers designed in-house by Fortescue teams in Australia and the US, establishes the company as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

“The process of splitting hydrogen and oxygen isn’t new – but the innovative ways the world is looking to use green hydrogen to decarbonise are, and that means demand for green hydrogen and for the electrolysers to produce it is growing rapidly,” Hutchinson said.

The development of the site was enabled by support from the Queensland Government, including the provision of an electrical sub-station, road network, communications and local scheme water connection, as well as the allocation of land. The Australian Government also contributed AU$44 million from the Collaboration Stream of the Modern Manufacturing Initiative.

The electrolyser facility is the first stage of a wider Green Energy Manufacturing Centre being developed by Fortescue on the 100 hectare Gladstone site, the next phases of which will also include a hydrogen system testing facility and Fortescue’s PEM50 green hydrogen project.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/08042024/fortescue-officially-opens-gladstone-electrolyser-facility/