Fortescue has opened its world-leading electrolyzer manufacturing facility in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, one of the first globally to house an automated assembly line. The 15,000 sqm 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) electrolyzer stacks annually. Fortescue Executive Chair and Founder Dr Andrew Forrest AO said Fortescue was proud to be a first mover.

“We are grateful for the Queensland and Federal Government’s vision and early support to help get us started,” Forrest said. “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 electrolyzers designed in-house by Fortescue teams in Australia and the U.S., establishes the company as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

“The process of splitting H₂ and oxygen isn’t new – but the innovative ways the world is looking to use green H₂ to decarbonize are, and that means demand for green H₂ and for the electrolyzers to produce it is growing rapidly,” Hutchinson said. “This facility positions Fortescue and Gladstone as a large-scale producer of what will be an increasingly sought-after commodity in the global shift to green energy.

“We’re strategically focused on building out our Energy business. Not only are we developing a pipeline of green energy projects, we’re also now designing and manufacturing the specialized equipment and technology that will underpin our green H₂ projects and that of others.”

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 about $29 MM from the Collaboration Stream of the Modern Manufacturing Initiative.

Electrolyzers split H₂ and oxygen by passing an electrical current through water, which is made up of both molecules.

“We know that technology in this space moves very quickly so as well as producing electrolyzers today, this facility also provides an amazing environment for our team to learn and then leverage that experience to drive innovation and develop the solutions of tomorrow,” Hutchinson said.

“We will continue to research, manufacture, source and invest in new electrolyzer technologies across the world to give us the best possible competitive position.

The electrolyzer 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 H₂ system testing facility and Fortescue’s PEM50 green H₂ project.

More than 100 jobs were created during the construction process, with the facility and wider Centre to ultimately underpin over 300 direct and indirect jobs.