Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has announced the appointment of energy industry expert Paul Browning as President and CEO of FFI North America, effective January 1, 2022.
Mr Browning has been President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas since 2016, leading a team of 2,300 people.
Under his leadership, Mitsubishi Power achieved #1 market share in the Americas for utility-scale natural gas power generation and launched a battery energy storage business that grew to $400 million of annual orders.
Mr Browning also oversaw the launch of a renewable power project development company that now has 3 GW of photovoltaic solar projects in various stages of development, and became a leader in green hydrogen with a significant project underway in Delta, Utah, and other green hydrogen projects announced across the United States and Canada.
FFI CEO Julie Shuttleworth said Paul’s successful leadership of Mitsubishi North America ‘prepares him well to lead FFI’s ambitious plans’.
She said his was the first of many appointments which FFI is undertaking to establish its leadership in the rapidly growing North American green hydrogen market.
“We’re excited to bring Paul’s proven renewable energy experience and entrepreneurial track record to lead FFI’s North American operations and build our team as we advance FFI’s global initiative to reduce carbon emissions,” Ms Shuttleworth stated.
“Paul will lead our green hydrogen work in North America and help FFI reach our goal of building green hydrogen energy production that is equal to the very largest oil and gas companies that exist today.”
Commenting on this appointment as FFI’s North American CEO, Mr Browning said, “I’m excited to be joining FFI at a time when we are redrawing the map of the global energy trade and decarbonising the hard to electrify sectors of our economy with green hydrogen.
“We have an ambitious plan to assemble a team of industry experts that will build a multi-billion-dollar green hydrogen business and drive North American leadership in this exciting sector.”
