Interview: China enjoys huge potential in green energy cooperation, says Australian entrepreneur

CHANGSHA, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Australia can tap huge potential in green energy cooperation with China, a world leader in green development, said a prominent Australian entrepreneur.

"There is a huge amount of collaboration which can be done between China and Australia in the clean energy sector, as China's green development is leading the world," said Andrew Forrest, chairman and founder of Australian iron ore giant Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), on the sidelines of the second conference of the Global Economic Development and Security Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), earlier this week in an interview with Xinhua.

He noted that China raced further ahead in renewable energy like wind, electric mobility, batteries and solar, as well as electrolysers for green hydrogen.

"Because the world will go green, it will need all the green energy that China can produce," Forrest told Xinhua, adding that "the innovations and intelligent minds of China can help us define a better future."

Founded in 2003, FMG has been going through a green transformation in recent years, and therefore it sees vast opportunities in the Chinese market.

"We have a very deeply integrated relationship with China. We're working with supplies of electrolysers, solar panels, wind farms, everything across the whole green energy supply chain, the whole green energy lifeline," said Forrest, who looks forward to establishing more joint ventures with Chinese partners in the future.

In the eyes of Forrest, the cooperation between China and Australia is definitely a win-win game. "Australia has a lot of solar and wind energy that we can convert to green hydrogen and green ammonia, and transport them to China to help China produce 'green steel,'" Forrest said. "We're investing in the technologies which China is able to develop as well as encouraging China to invest in our technologies."

As a businessman, Forrest has visited China several times, and he is impressed by the Chinese spirit of openness and innovation. "China is very open, and encouraging to make the change the world needs. China is not intimidated by challenges, it views challenges as opportunities," he said.