Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has turned the first sod for construction of the world's largest electrolyser facility in central Queensland, where he also announced a $3 billion investment in a wind, solar and battery farm.
Fortescue Future Industries' Green Energy Manufacturing (GEM) Centre will build equipment to make green hydrogen, including electrolysers and wind turbines, with stage one going up at Aldoga, west of Gladstone.
Mr Forrest said the $114 million project was filling a gap in the market.
"Because electrolysers is currently what the world is stumbling over, grand pronouncements and no action, [it] sounds a lot like greenwashing" Mr Forrest said.
"We have orders right now to take these electrolysers as they come off the production line next year, and that order list is growing rapidly."
The facility will be powered by renewables and once built will initially have capacity to make two gigawatts of electrolysers annually, doubling the world's current production.
Export potential growing
The electrolysers will be built for domestic use and export.
Construction of the project comes as other companies start discussions on using coal ports for green hydrogen export, and not just in Gladstone.
On Thursday, Dalrymple Bar Infrastructure (DBI) and North Queensland Bulk Ports announced they had entered into an agreement to conduct a feasibility study into a regional hydrogen hub in the vicinity of terminal infrastructure currently used for coal.
In an ASX statement, DBI said the Dalrymple Bay Terminal at Hay Point was known globally for the "key role it plays in exporting to 25 countries and supporting the global steel supply chain".
It said the terminal was "ideally placed as the location for a possible green hydrogen facility" due to its deep-water port, access to the established Mackay industrial zone, availability of land and water and position within one of Queensland's Renewable Energy Zones.
Energy independence
In addition to green hydrogen and electrolyser export potential, Mr Forrest said it was crucial for Australia to invest in its own energy resources, especially given the situation in Ukraine.
"Australia's energy independence as a solution is with us now; do we have the leadership to grasp that future, to make our nation completely energy independent?
"We never find ourselves in the position of Germany, where we have our dollars funding a foreign invasion.
"We are a peaceful nation, a democratic nation, and we deserve now to be making all our own energy and be independent."
Renewable energy precinct
At the sod-turning ceremony, Mr Forrest also announced a $3 billion investment at the Clarke Creek wind, solar and battery farm in central Queensland.
Squadron Energy, the energy division of Tattarang, the holding company for the Forrest family's private business interests, has purchased stages one and two of the project, about 150 kilometres north-west of Rockhampton.
In a statement, Squadron Energy said once completed the farm could produce enough wind, solar and battery energy to power "more than 660,000 homes, equivalent to 40 per cent of Queensland households".
It said the project would make the region "the largest renewable energy precinct in the Southern Hemisphere".
But Mr Forrest said that record would not be for long.
"[Due to] other renewable energy projects under development that will surpass our project in scale … we [also] intend to bring on other projects which will be larger than today's record."
The company said given all necessary government approvals and long-term supply agreements were in place, it planned to speed up the start of construction, with stage one expected to be running in 2024, followed by stage two in 2026.
