Rio Tinto, BHP, And BlueScope Choose Kwinana For Ironmaking ESF Pilot Plant In Australia

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(RTTNews) - Rio Tinto, BHP and BlueScope have selected the Kwinana Industrial Area, south of Perth, as the location to develop Australia's largest ironmaking electric smelting furnace (ESF) pilot plant, Rio Tinto said in a statement.

The company noted that the project combines the expertise of BlueScope, BHP and Rio Tinto to test technology to enable the use of Pilbara iron ore to produce iron without the need for traditional blast furnaces, as the companies come together to try to accelerate the decarbonisation of steelmaking.

The pilot plant would produce 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes of molten iron a year. It will initially use natural gas to reduce iron ore to DRI, but once operational, the project aims to use lower-carbon emissions hydrogen to reduce iron ore.

Subject to funding, the project anticipates a decision to enter feasibility studies in the second quarter 2025 and is targeting final investment decision for the pilot plant in 2026, with operations expected to begin in 2028.