Fortescue Future Industries’ planned facility, officially proposed at the Willow Cale Industrial Park in Prince George, BC, will produce roughly 140,000 tons of hydrogen and 700,000 tons of ammonia per year, which would be used for both domestic use and export.

The project will need 1,000 MW of power from BC Hydro to produce green hydrogen by electrolysis, which will then be processed into green ammonia. The company has also started the environmental approval process required by the provincial government.

The project has taken considerable planning with local and regional leaders. In the latter part of 2021, Fortescue signed agreements with three First Nations groups in Canada, laying the ground for it to plan green hydrogen projects across Canada. This included the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation in British Columbia, with whom the company has negotiated a benefit-sharing agreement.

Billionaire Andrew Forrest, who founded FFI and is currently executive chairman at parent company Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), recently traveled to Prince George to announce the project proposal. Forrest met with Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Chief Dolleen Logan during his visit.

“[Prince George has] got clean air. It’s got heaps of water. It’s got heaps of electricity,” said Forrest. “It’s got everything going for it, and so this first 1,000 MW facility sounds really big, but it’s a stepping stone to what could be built out here in this beautiful part of the world.”

Earlier this year, the government of British Columbia offered the city of Prince George funding over a period of two years to help it become a regional hub for hydrogen. The provincial government has identified Prince George as an ideal location, given the industry’s foothold and promise in the region.