Anglo American, BHP, Fortescue Metals and Hatch say they have formed a Green Hydrogen Consortium to look at ways of using green sources of hydrogen to accelerate decarbonisation within their operations globally.
Primarily, the consortium aims to collectively help to eliminate the obstacles to the adoption of green hydrogen technologies and encourage innovative application, they said.
“The goal is to identify opportunities to develop green hydrogen technologies for the resources sector and other heavy industries, and provide a mechanism for suppliers and operators to contribute to and engage with these development activities,” the four firms said.
The member companies of the Green Hydrogen Consortium stated that they are technology agnostic and are considering a range of options to progress decarbonisation of their operational greenhouse gas emissions, according to a fact sheet issued by the consortium.
“Given the range of applications for green hydrogen and the cost challenges associated with it, the consortium was formed to work together to seek to de-risk its application and enable acceleration of cost reductions,” the partners said. The consortium is expected to be in place for three years.
While Anglo American is currently developing the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck for testing at the Mogalakwena platinum group metals site, in South Africa, Fortescue already has a partnership in place with CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, on the development of hydrogen technologies.
Some of the proposed activities of the consortium include undertaking research, technology and supply chain development, and piloting green hydrogen technologies to seek to de-risk and accelerate the technologies, the partners said.
“The companies involved in the consortium are committed to reducing their respective operational greenhouse gas emissions and to working collaboratively with others – including customers and suppliers – to find technological or other innovative solutions for the emissions associated with the use of their products and in their supply chains,” they said.
Hatch, the lone engineering company in the consortium, has been appointed as the Project Management and Governance Facilitator of the consortium.