Fortescue delivers on hydrogen and decarbonising technology development

Fortescue metals Group’s future industries division (FFI) has hit the ground running delivering major progress in a series of decarbonisation initiatives committed to by company chairman Andrew Forrest in March this year.

FFI CEO Julie Shuttleworth said Forrest had led two major overseas expeditions including 50 experts testing the hypothesis that green hydrogen was a the way forward for the company.

“We set out to test the hypothesis that there was sufficient 100 pert cent green energy, hydrogen, ammonia and industrial manufacturing potential, for products such as green cement, green fertilizer, green iron and steel to fully satisfy the world’s needs.

“The company has confirmed the hypothesis.”

FFI’s ‘green team’ has established a major facility at Hazelmere in Perth to decarbonise the company’s operations and had achieved:

• Successful combustion of ammonia in a locomotive fuel, with a pathway to achieve completely renewable green fuel
• Completion of construction of a testing facility for large ship engines with pilot work underway
• Finalised design of a next generation ore ship powered by green ammonia that has received in principle design approval from the Classification Society
• Testing of battery cells and construction of a hydrogen powered haul truck
• Construction of a hydrogen powered drill rig for technology demonstration.

These developments had led to the production of 97 per cent purity green iron from Fortescue ores in a low temperature, continuous flow process.

FMG CEO Elizabeth Gaines said the company was leading the heavy industry battle against global warming and transitioning to become a green and renewable energy and product exporter.

“All of us at Fortescue are committed to decarbonisation.”

Picture: FMG/Christmas Creek

Subscribe to our free @AuManufacturing newsletter here.