Mark Hutchinson, FFI CEO, says Gladstone facility will move ahead as planned
Plug walks away from FFI’s Gladstone gigafactory
Australian developer will manufacture in-house technology instead, as Plug argues it can get better value elsewhere
US green hydrogen technology firm Plug Power has confirmed it will no longer partner with Australia’s Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) on its 2GW/yr electrolyser manufacturing facility in Gladstone. “We decided we did not want to build a factory with them because we saw the economics; we could do better,” Plug CEO Andy Marsh explained on a recent analyst call. “So we really did not think that was worthwhile to move ahead.” FFI CEO Mark Hutchinson argues the firm has been developing its own proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) and alkaline electrolyser technology and is well-positioned to take the Gladstone facility forward on its own. “Plug Power is very much locked into a certain technology and
Also in this section
25 March 2026
The Middle East energy shock has highlighted the value of France’s unique potential to deploy nuclear-powered electrolysers
18 March 2026
The second fossil-fuel price shock in four years can be a much-needed catalyst for investment in the sector
9 March 2026
Hydrogen has not stalled in the UK because the technology does not work. The problem is that the system around it does not yet move at the speed required
4 March 2026
Turmoil in Middle East reminds nascent clean hydrogen sector that its future prospects are dependent on global energy markets and geopolitics
