FORTESCUE METALS GROUP — MANUFACTURING FACILITY
968. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the Minister for Hydrogen Industry:
I
refer to recent media reports concerning the loss of a hydrogen project
investment to Queensland—Fortescue Metals Group's $1 billion green energy
manufacturing facility—because the state did not have a viable site for
the development.
(1) What sites
did FMG approach the government about?
(2) When did it
first approach the government seeking serviced land?
(3) How many
hectares of serviced land was required by FMG?
(4) Did either
the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage or the Department of Jobs,
Tourism, Science and Innovation provide briefings on this to the minister?
(5) If yes to
(4), when were briefings provided?
(6) Given the
importance of the hydrogen industry to Western Australia, why did the state
government allow this project to be lost to Queensland?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the
member for the question.
(1)–(6) On
13 May 2021, Fortescue Future Industries released a request for proposal to all
state and territory governments in Australia
seeking information on infrastructure and investment on a range of
manufacturing facilities. FFI did not identify specific sites when it
had subsequent discussions with the WA government.
On 27 May 2021, our government
responded to the request for proposal with details of available land and associated infrastructure that best met the
requirements that had been outlined by FFI. In total, 14 sites were
listed. The Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation briefed me in
the week commencing 24 May 2021, prior to the formal submission to the RFP.
Obviously, the decision to locate an ancillary manufacturing facility in
Queensland was made by FFI.
The
WA government and FFI continue to work on a range of hydrogen production and
technology projects, including the Christmas Creek renewable hydrogen
mobility project, which has been the beneficiary of a grant from the state
government's renewable hydrogen fund.