The NeoSmelt joint venture has joined the Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre (HILT CRC) as a key partner, establishing a direct connection between Australian research expertise and one of the nation’s most significant industrial decarbonisation initiatives.
The NeoSmelt consortium, comprising resource and energy leaders BHP, BlueScope, Mitsui Iron Ore Development, Rio Tinto, Woodside Energy, and AMB Holdings, is currently evaluating a proposed direct reduced iron–electric smelting furnace (DRI-ESF) pilot plant in Western Australia’s Kwinana Industrial Area.
The feasibility-stage plant aims to process 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes of molten iron annually using abundant Pilbara iron ores, initially powered by natural gas before trialling hydrogen.
Because traditional commercial direct reduction technologies typically demand higher-grade iron ore, proving the DRI-ESF pathway is crucial to keeping Australia’s vast Pilbara reserves at the heart of global steel supply chains as international markets decarbonise.
HILT CRC CEO Jenny Selway said joining forces creates a vital link between major pre-commercial industry demonstrations and Australia’s research sector.
“NeoSmelt brings together organisations spanning iron ore, steelmaking and energy to tackle one of the most important issues facing Australia’s resources sector,” Selway said.
“Its work to demonstrate DRI-ESF technology using Pilbara ores is closely aligned with HILT’s mission to accelerate and de-risk decarbonisation for heavy industry.”
Chris Page, General Manager of NeoSmelt and Head of Future Technologies at BlueScope, noted that collaborating with HILT CRC provides access to broader research networks to solve complex technical challenges associated with commercial deployment beyond the pilot itself.
“It complements the work already underway through NeoSmelt and helps strengthen the broader Australian capability needed to develop practical lower-emissions ironmaking pathways using our abundant Pilbara ores,” he said.
Supported by a AU$75 million commitment from the Western Australian government and AU$19.8 million in front-end engineering design funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the project targets a final investment decision in 2026, with operational start-up planned for 2029.