Chinese Premier Li Qiang was in Western Australia on Tuesday where he visited Fortescue's hydrogen research center in Perth, as well as Australia's first lithium hydroxide production facility.
This resource-rich country exports half of the world's iron ore by sea and accounts for half of all lithium. It is also home to the world's largest mining companies, BHP and Rio Tinto.
Fortescue, the world's fourth-largest iron ore miner, has recently focused on green energy, testing hydrogen, ammonia and battery power technology for trains, ship engines, trucks and oil platforms at Hazelmere.
Of all the major mining companies in Australia, Fortescue has the boldest carbon reduction plans. The company aims to be carbon dioxide neutral by 2030 for the emissions it generates on site or through its energy consumption. Mining companies have intensified their efforts to find alternatives to diesel fuel, which is the main fuel for vehicles in remote mine sites.
This center is where Fortescue developed the technology for its “Europa” hydrogen forklift truck prototype, which debuted on hydrogen in May.
The prototype was a collaboration with global equipment manufacturer Liebherr and includes a 1.6-megawatt battery and 500-kilowatt fuel cells and can store more than 380 kilograms of liquid hydrogen.
Li also visited the lithium hydroxide plant of Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia (TLEA), which is 51% owned by Tianqi Lithium and 49% owned by Australian mining company IGO Ltd.
The plant will produce 24,000 tons of lithium hydroxide annually with the first train fully operational, while a second, third and fourth train is being considered.
The plant is working to resolve production issues and produced 2,178 tons of the battery chemical in the three quarters to the end of March.
TLEA also owns a 51% stake in the Australian Greenbushes lithium mine, one of the world's largest, along with US mining company Albemarle.
($1 = 1.5147 Australian dollars)
