Reasons to love electrolysers
- Viable alternative for hard to abate processes such as chemical feedstock or for green steel
- Powered by 100% renewables, electroysers create green hydrogen
Electrolyser technology is advancing rapidly, meaning bigger and more efficient electrolysers are being developed to meet large forecast demand for green hydrogen globally
The opportunity for electrolysers in Australia
Producing green hydrogen onshore presents an opportunity to manufacture large-scale electrolysers for domestic and export markets. Over the next five years, in parallel with other clean technologies, we need to:
Introduce 3,000 electrolysers to industrial centres (~3 GW). These will produce more than 300,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen and replace expensive, fossil-gas feedstocks, provide high temperature heating for processes that cannot be electrified and help enable green steel production. It is critical that the water used for the electrolysis process is sourced and managed sustainably.
The prospect of hydogen-based steel is particularly promising as steel making currently causes 6-7% of global emissions.
Affordable renewable hydrogen opens up a world of manufacturing possibilities. Learn about the companies in Australia leading in hydrogen electrolysers.
Meeting the industrial challenge
Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) develop and patent new electrolyser technology with a focus on green hydrogen for hard-to-decarbonise industry sectors. In 2022, FFI signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus to study regulation, infrastructure and supply chains needed to deploy green hydrogen as a zero emissions jet fuel.
A division of Fortescue Metals Group, FFI currently employs more than 50 staff based across Gladstone and Perth. The company aims to produce 1 GW of electrolysers per year in Gladstone once fully operational.
Discover more companies leading innovation in green hydrogen technology.
The five-year Deploy plan
Electolysers are one of six technologies - alongside batteries, wind pumps, wind turbines, electric vehicles and solar panels - Australian households, industry and transport can rollout to do the heavy lifting in reducing our emissions by 81% by 2030 under the five-year Deploy plan.
Our Deploy plan shows In the next five years we need to install clean technology at a rate of about two units or appliances per household. The good news is, we already know how to make these key technologies – we just need to make more of them and put them to work.
Mass deployment of emission reducing technologies like electrolysers can create jobs, reduce energy costs, revitalise manufacturing in our regions and urban centres, and help stimulate a green export industry triple the size of our current fossil fuel exports.