Fortescue Metals Group Founder and Chairman, Andrew Forrest AO, joined the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Dr Larry Marshall, to announce a landmark partnership to capitalise on the economic opportunities associated with hydrogen and support the development of a competitive hydrogen industry in Australia.
The collaboration between Fortescue and CSIRO includes a five year agreement to fund and support select CSIRO technologies in the hydrogen space. The first of the agreements will focus on CSIRO’s metal membrane technology, which will make the transportation of hydrogen economically viable, enabling the benefits of the low emission fuel to be realised.
Fortescue Chairman, Andrew Forrest AO, said, “We are at the beginning of an energy revolution and Fortescue intends to be at the forefront of this once in a generation opportunity.”
“As a proud Australian company, we are excited to partner with CSIRO, our nation’s preeminent science and research body, to unlock the potential of hydrogen, the low emission fuel of the future,” he said.
“By combining CSIRO’s global leading research and development with Fortescue’s capability to rapidly develop new technologies, we will firmly establish our position in the global hydrogen industry.”
“Importantly, we see potential for a significant export market in hydrogen and look forward to collaborating with third parties to ensure Australia’s leadership in the new energy economy,” Mr Forrest said.
Chief Executive Officer, Ms Elizabeth Gaines, said “Working with CSIRO to capitalise on the benefits of a low emission fuel such as hydrogen demonstrates Fortescue’s commitment to reduce our carbon footprint by ensuring security of supply of cost-effective energy for our operations.”
“The agreement builds on Fortescue’s previous energy initiatives, including the conversion of the Solomon Power Station from diesel to gas generation and the development of the Fortescue River Gas Pipeline,” Ms Gaines said.
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