Enel Green Power and FFI announce green hydrogen partnership

Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) and Italian company Enel’s global renewables arm Enel Green Power S.p.A. (EGP) have announced they will partner to explore co-development of the green hydrogen value chain with an initial focus on Latin America and Australia.

FFI says the companies share a common view on the key role of green hydrogen to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as fertilisers, other chemicals, steel manufacturing, shipping and aviation, where hydrogen is used as a feedstock or to generate high-temperature heat, and where the abatement of CO₂ emissions through electrification is not possible or is more complex. The companies, also through this collaboration, aim to make green hydrogen cost-competitive with fossil fuel-based alternatives during this decade.

“We strongly believe that in the near future green hydrogen can play a strategic role in the decarbonisation of global energy systems, complementing direct electrification,” said Salvatore Bernabei, CEO of Enel Green Power. “This collaboration with a partner such as FFI fully fits within Enel’s hydrogen strategy to reduce the green hydrogen production cost, through the scale-up of technology and through innovative solutions.”

“This exciting announcement comes at a critical moment in energy. As winter approaches, and energy costs continue to skyrocket, competitive green energy costs have never been more needed,” said Mark Hutchinson, CEO of FFI. “Green hydrogen and green ammonia are part of the solution for not only energy security and lower energy costs, but also for fighting climate change. With a strong proven record and dedication in green energy, Enel is the perfect partner to work with to make a green future a reality.”

The collaboration intends to establish a framework for FFI and EGP to identify and assess possible green hydrogen/ammonia projects.

FFI said the partnership marks an important milestone for the two partners as they look to bring even more large-scale production sites of green hydrogen and green ammonia to Latin America, as well as to Australia.

Green hydrogen is the only sustainable kind of hydrogen as it does not emit any CO₂ during the overall production process, unlike fossil fuel-based hydrogen. The companies said it is a practical and implementable solution that can help revolutionise the energy sector: helping to decarbonise heavy industry and to create jobs globally.

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