Australian iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group’s chairman and Australian entrepreneur Andrew Forrest has stated that he wants to produce green hydrogen on a large scale, adding that the goal is to be able to supply at least 15 million mt of green hydrogen annually in 2030, starting production in 2023.
According to Mr. Forrest who aims to make green hydrogen a globally traded product, the cost of transporting hydrogen from Australia to Europe is not an obstacle, the costs are due to the conversion of hydrogen into a transportable state. Mr. Forrest said he plans to make green hydrogen, which has so far been high-priced, more accessible, eventually replacing oil, coal and natural gas.
The project, which is funded by the Australian Federal Ministry of Education and Research and coordinated by the Federation of German Industries and the Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech), is intended to explore the potential of a German-Australian hydrogen partnership. German companies could be among the first customers as early as 2023. The project has been presented to the German government, which has repeatedly stressed that Germany will source a large part of its future green hydrogen needs from abroad, and so hydrogen partnerships with countries like Australia are supported by the government.