Central Queensland To Become Leading Global Energy Powerhouse

Regional Queensland will soon play a vital role in making the state a global hydrogen powerhouse.

Fortescue Future Industries [FFI] plan to construct the world's largest hydrogen manufacturing facility in in Aldoga, near Gladstone.

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk delivered a joint announcement with Founder of FFI, mining billionaire Dr Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest in the Port of Gladstone on Sunday.

"Hydrogen is part of Queensland's future and [this] sets Queensland up to be an energy powerhouse in green renewable energy," she said. 

Mr Forrest said the $1 billion-plus, six-stage operation promises to generate thousands of jobs for the region. 

"Queensland has the beautiful combination of wind and solar and you have a hard-working, educated people [and] a great government steering into a green hydrogen future," he said.

"This is the future," Mr Forrest said, "We will not allow the world to keep on cooking, we will not allow our children to inherit a much-less stable environment".

FFI will invest $115 million in the first phase of operation, with expectations that it will double the world’s green hydrogen-production ability.

The plant will build electrolysers, cabling and wind turbines used to create green energy, with the first electrolysers due to enter the global market by 2023.

Initial job creations at the FFI manufacturing facility will see 150 employment opportunities during construction and 53 ongoing jobs when operational.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick said the announcement delivers a ray of sunshine for the state.

"It will almost triple the number of electrolysers being manufactured in the world right here in our home state"

- Minister Dick

Mr Dick suggested that Traditional Owners in the Gladstone region could be offered work on the project, while training opportunities for local high schools would be established.

Addressing climate change, Mr Forrest said, as the centre piece of his vision, the Gladstone 2 GW manufacturing facility will double the worlds current electrolyser capacity, with the aim of stopping global warming, whilst driving investment.

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