PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Green energy developer Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has welcomed the European Commission REPowerEU plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and tackle the climate crisis. 

The European Commission earlier this week presented the REPowerEU plan in response to the global energy market disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The plan proposes to reduce the EU’s dependency on Russian fossil fuels faster, through energy savings, diversification of energy supplies and the accelerated roll-out of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels.

FFI said this week that it has worked hard directly with the EU and bilaterally with EU nations to promote market-based incentives such as carbon contracts for difference schemes and strongly supports the additional support announced today. 

In particular, FFI has welcomed the European Commission plans on contract for difference, policy and financial support for green hydrogen, infrastructure for green hydrogen production, and imports pertaining to green hydrogen.

A goal has been set of 10-million tonnes of domestic renewable hydrogen production and 10-million tonnes of imports by 2030, in order to replace natural gas, coal and oil in hard-to-decarbonise industries and transport sectors. FFI said that the target must be more ambitious, however, noting that this was a good start.

Speaking from the Green Hydrogen Organisation’s Global Assembly in Barcelona, FFI founder and chairperson Dr Andrew Forrest said green hydrogen, green ammonia and green energy are the only sustainable solution to the energy crisis. Any type of hydrogen made from fossil fuels is part of the problem, not the solution.

“New research proves the fossil fuel industry has highly effective disinformation campaigns to promote fossil fuel hydrogen as clean, when it is in fact highly polluting and therefore dangerous to humanity. It is not even low carbon. It is worse than burning the fossil fuels in the first place, as scientists have found. Today’s research has found that four out of five people do not realise that “clean hydrogen” is in fact not clean at all. The fossil fuel industry must stop greenwashing.  

“The new Green Hydrogen Standard published this week at the first ever Green Hydrogen Assembly addresses exactly this. The only green, “clean hydrogen,” is green hydrogen, made from renewable resources. FFI supports this standard,” said Forrest.

“The Russian war on Ukraine and subsequent energy crisis has proven that dependence on fossil fuels is a poor energy strategy. That is not the only crisis on our hands. The climate crisis continues to wreak havoc on our planet, and immediate, lasting action is needed. The solution is here: green hydrogen.

“We look forward to working with the European Commission on its plan to transition to a green hydrogen economy,” Forrest said.