Australia risks falling behind in race for green steel

Grade of country’s vast iron ore reserves incompatible with hydrogen-fuelled DRI process, says Australian Hydrogen Council

Australia risks being left behind in the global shift to green steel production despite being the world’s largest exporter of iron ore, the Australian Hydrogen Council has warned in its response to a government consultation. One of the main green steel production routes under development globally is the use of hydrogen-fuelled direct-reduced iron (DRI) technology to process iron ore. However, Australian iron ore is predominantly hematite-goethite, which is “not ideal” for use in DRI, the AHC said. “The bulk of the iron ore currently mined for export in Australia is incompatible for use in the production of DRI as the ore contains too many impurities,” it said in a position paper designed to