Green hydrogen developer Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) and manufacturing firm Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL) are progressing with plans to convert IPL’s Gibson Island ammonia facility to run on green hydrogen.

Studies have confirmed the feasibility of constructing a new 500MW electrolyser at the site in Brisbane, Queensland, as well as the retrofitting of IPL’s existing a facility to run on green hydrogen.

The project has been advanced to Feed stage to establish technical specifications, as well as construction and procurement costs. FID is targeted for 2023.

“Progressing this project into this final assessment stage is an important milestone in what will be a world-first conversion of an existing facility to become an industrial-scale producer of green hydrogen and green ammonia,” says Mark Hutchinson, CEO of FFI.

The facility could ultimately produce up to 400,000t/yr of green ammonia, which can be exported to international markets as well as used in fertilisers.

“Progressing this project into this final assessment stage is an important milestone” Hutchinson, FFI

A domestic and international process is underway to find potential buyers for the green ammonia produced by the facility. The two firms are also working with the Queensland government to understand how the project could meet local demand.

Applications for planning approval for the project will be submitted in the coming weeks.

FFI is working with utility Powerlink to connect the project to the Queensland electricity transmission network.

“The potential conversion of Gibson Island to green ammonia shows our commitment to pursuing opportunities to help create a more sustainable world in the new and emerging opportunities stemming from green ammonia,” says IPL CEO Jeanne Johns.

“We are very pleased to be able to partner with FFI on what would be a world-first project, and I extend my thanks for the partnership and support from both the Federal and Queensland governments.”

Gibson Island is one of several large projects in Australia being developed with Asian markets in mind—including the Western Green Energy Hub, the Asian Renewable Energy Hub and the Hyenergy Zero Carbon Hydrogen project.

Australia has 13 low-carbon hydrogen projects of more than 1GW in size, with a potential production capacity of c.8.4mn t/yr, according to data from government agency the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Around 1.5mn t/yr of this is likely to be online before 2030.

---

Author: Tom Young