Perth, Australia

Australia's Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. is eager to expand iron ore exports to Japan, the group's chief executive, Elizabeth Gaines, said in an interview with Jiji Press on Wednesday.

"We are always looking for opportunities to increase sales to Japan," Gaines said in the interview, held at the Resources Technology Showcase 2019 event, which started in Perth on the day.

Currently, Fortescue is the third-largest exporter of Australian iron ore, after Rio Tinto Ltd. and BHP Group PLC. Most of its iron ore exports are now shipped to China.

Established in 2003, Fortescue achieved rapid growth after fully entering the iron ore business in 2008.

In the interview, Gaines said the company is making efforts to expand its product lineup, including the development of magnetite concentrate.

She also revealed the company's vision for producing hydrogen and exporting it to Japan.

"I think Japan will have strong demand for green hydrogen in the next decade," the company chief said. "We are at early stages of investigating technology (on hydrogen) and further developing the technology at large scale. We've had a number of visits to Japan to talk to potential customers, as this is a very long-term opportunity."

[Jiji Press]