FFI to study developing US coal mine into hydrogen hub

Australia's Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) is planning to carry out a feasibility study on converting the former Centralia coal mine in the US' Washington state into a hydrogen production facility powered by electricity from renewable sources.

The planned study follows FFI, the low-emissions energy arm of Australian iron ore producer Fortescue Metals, entering into a binding agreement with Washington's Industrial Park at TransAlta. Centralia closed in 2006 and supplied coal to the 51-year old Centralia power plant, which now receives coal from the Powder river basin in the US. Centralia is owned and operated by Canadian utility TransAlta, which closed one of the plant's generation units in 2020 and plans to close the second 670MW unit at the end of 2025.

The proposed hydrogen production plant will decarbonise hard to abate sectors of the North American economy and support the development of a Pacific northwest green hydrogen hub, FFI said. It said it will apply for a US Department of Energy hydrogen hub programme grant together with its Pacific northwest partners

By Kevin Morrison