Fortescue starts work on green iron pilot in Australia

Australia’s Fortescue Metals Group (ASX:FMG) has broken ground on its Green Metal Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia which is expected to begin producing green iron in 2025.

The pilot plant, to be located at the Green Energy Hub at Christmas Creek, will use green hydrogen produced at Fortescue’s gaseous and liquid hydrogen facility and an electric smelting furnace to produce more than 1,500 tonnes per year of green metal.

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Fortescue's newly commissioned green hydrogen plant has the capacity to produce some 530 kg of hydrogen per day, or around 195 tonnes annually. The plant, which is partially powered by solar energy, includes a hydrogen refuelling station to service a fleet of 10 hydrogen-powered coaches. It has also a hydrogen liquefaction facility, liquid hydrogen storage, a liquid hydrogen refuelling station, and Fortescue's zero-emission decarbonisation prototypes.

The USD-50-million project is one of three initiatives for which Fortescue took a final investment decision (FID) at the end of 2023.