GFG has announced its updated Whyalla GREENSTEEL Transformation Plan in a major milestone for the business, as it seeks to secure the long-term future of its South Australian based steelworks.
This investment blueprint builds on previously-announced plans for a new Rolling Mill to be built by Danieli Group, Italy.
GFG revealed further plans for a sophisticated Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) – utilising cutting edge technology for energy optimisation – and a Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) facility to produce low-emission GREENSTEEL from GFG’s abundant South Australian magnetite resource and domestic steel scrap.
The new DRI plant will be fed by Natural Gas, in time transitioning to green hydrogen produced from GFG’s own renewable energy projects including Cultana – one of Australia’s largest solar farms being built in Whyalla.
Combined, these new facilities will produce advanced steel long products for the Australian construction, critical infrastructure and mining industries for generations to come.
GFG’s Executive Chairman, Sanjeev Gupta said: “This exciting plan will not only transform the Whyalla business into an internationally-competitive steel manufacturer, it will be our first primary steel plant to be transformed to GREENSTEEL, helping fulfil our ambition to become the world’s largest carbon-neutral steel producer by 2030.
“I believe in domestic manufacturing in Australia using its abundance of natural resources. South Australia, in particular, has one of the largest deposits of magnetite ore, and some of the best conditions for renewable energy.
“These are the key ingredients needed for GREENSTEEL which enable this exciting venture. We will more than double the value-added steel products we make with our new plant, capturing the growing infrastructure requirements of Australia, which are currently being covered by imports.
“We have to-date invested over $60 million in the engineering and design work for this project and are now ready to take the next steps of finalising funding and commencing construction.
“We plan to start construction later this year (2020) for the mill, and next year in 2021 for the EAF and DRI facilities. With this, the Whyalla Transformation Project will finally become a reality.”
Mr Gupta has revealed GFG’s steel-making businesses, including InfraBuild, will aim to become carbon neutral by 2030 as part of GFG’s far-reaching CN30 initiative.
This article was first published in The Fence magazine.