Bob Brown slams Andrew Forrest’s hydrogen push

Andrew Forrest’s claim to be ­‘saving the planet’ with green hydrogen is slapped down by the veteran conservationist`.

Andrew Forrest (left) and Bob Brown. Pictures: File

Andrew Forrest’s claim to be ­“saving the planet” with green ­hydrogen has been slapped down by veteran conservationist Bob Brown, who accuses the billionaire of funding projects with ­“enormous” social and environment impacts.

Dr Brown urged the Fortescue Metals Group chairman to contact him to discuss his commitment to hydro-fuelled “green” hydrogen projects in the Congo and Papua New Guinea that would displace thousands of people, tame wild ­rivers and flood species-rich rainforests.

“He’s become a global exemplar of the idea that hydrogen is going to save us, but it isn’t,” Dr Brown said, after funding a newspaper ad to counter Dr Forrest’s ads spruiking green ­hydrogen.

Dr Forrest’s ad urged fossil fuel executives to “save the planet and look your kids in the eye” by joining him in investing in green ­hydrogen projects.

While endorsing green hydrogen as “part of the mix” and having “wonderful potential”, the former Greens leader said Dr Forrest needed to “come back down to earth” and address the significant impacts of several of his projects. In particular, the $US80bn Grand Inga Hydroelectric Project in the Congo would be twice the size of China’s Three Gorges hydro scheme and have devastating impacts on ecosystems and communities upstream of the proposed dams, he said.

“This project is said to displace 25,000 people; it will have major transmission lines through the ­African rainforest to the coast for green energy production, potential transmission lines to South ­Africa and even a potential transmission line to Egypt,” he said.

“It’s a continent-scale flawed thought that’s been dropped by others, including China and the World Bank, but Twiggy has suddenly taken it on. My question is: what about the people? Where’s the social licence?

“And what about the environment? There are more than 500 species of fish in the Congo alone.

“What happens to that en­vironment, and the rainforest?”

Some analysts have shared similar concerns about the Inga project, which has been floated in decades past, albeit without the add-on of hydrogen generation.

It has been described as politically risky, environmentally damaging, likely to blow out in cost and be wide open to charges of neo-­colonialism.

Dr Brown said deals Dr Forrest had signed in PNG were just as concerning. According to reports, Dr Forrest has signed a deal backing the $5bn Purari Wabo Hydropower project, while spruiking involvement in seven other hydro and 11 geothermal energy projects, to produce green hydrogen and ammonia.

Dr Brown said the hydro schemes would dam and flood parts of the wild Purari, Kik­ori and Strickland river systems, causing displacement of communities and habitat destruction. “Hydroelectricity may be seen as clean energy here but elsewhere it’s not acceptable as renewable energy because it suffocates environments where these rivers are flooded,” he said.

While Dr Brown and Dr Forrest have been at one in calling for Tasmania’s salmon industry to shift to on-land production, the iron ore magnate can expect opposition to his plans for a green-­hydrogen plant in the con­servationist’s home state.

FFI’s 250-megawatt plant at Bell Bay, in the state’s north, would rely on cheap energy, including from a series of large wind farms proposed for the island.

Dr Brown said these were being sited in sensitive places, impacting wedge tailed eagles, migratory birds and Tasmanian devils.

Dr Forrest’s spokeswoman said all projects would be assessed before final commitment, and hydropower remained “one of the safest, low-impact, cost-effective sources of baseload renewable energy”.

 “FFI favours run-of-river systems that eliminate the need for mega dams (and rely) on gravity to produce the energy, returns the water into the river system and minimises the environmental impact,” she said.  

“In exploring potential projects, FFI will evaluate the social, environmental, engineering and economic con­sid­erations before committing to developing a project. FFI has ascribed to and follows the International Hydro­power Association’s sustainable development guidelines.

“FFI recognises effective stakeholder engagement is critical to maintaining its reputation and long-term social licence to ­operate.”