Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Business
Marion Rae

Fortescue's electrolyser plant un-Plugged

Fortescue Future Industries' Gladstone facility is going ahead as planned, CEO Mark Hutchinson says. (Matt Jelonek/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Green energy champion Fortescue Future Industries is downplaying the exit of its United States partner from a hub under construction in Queensland.

The $114 million multi-gigawatt-scale electrolyser factory being built in Gladstone was a 50-50 joint venture between FFI and Plug Power Inc.

"The facility in Gladstone is going ahead as planned - nothing changes," FFI CEO Mark Hutchinson told an investor briefing on Friday.

"We want to control our own destiny."

Mr Hutchinson said the global need for electrolysers in the next few years would be huge.

Plug would still supply electrolysers for some of FFI's projects, he said.

"The feeling really was that we were advanced on our own technology - the IP was ours. We can do it at scale," he said.

"It will be Australian technology and we're going to do that on time."

The 100-hectare site in Gladstone, intended to kick start the first electrolyser manufacturing hub in Australia, is part of Queensland's plan to create an advanced manufacturing base for renewable energy and equipment.

The first electrolysers to be manufactured are earmarked for FFI's proposed green hydrogen to ammonia project at Gibson Island.

FFI's future plans include the manufacture of wind turbines, cabling, solar cells, modules and arrays.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.