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Rio, BHP Join Forces with BlueScope for Green Steel

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Australia’s biggest steelmaker and the nation’s largest iron ore producers have announced a new collaboration aimed to create a pathway to decarbonise steel production. Miners Rio Tinto and BHP sent teams from their Pilbara operations to join BlueScope at its Port Kembla terminal on Friday to make the announcement. Faced with the risk of falling behind the global effort to decarbonise, the iron ore competitors and the steelmaker have been exploring the development of an electric smelting furnace for iron-making. BlueScope chief executive Australia Tania Archibald said it was necessary to establish a commercially viable alternative to blast furnace steelmaking. “This is a major opportunity for Australia on a global scale as the broader heavy steel fabrication industry seek to decarbonise,” Ms. Archibald said. The project faces many challenges aside from the technology development; it will also be dependent on securing a substantial gas supply and, ultimately, green hydrogen.

More than 70% of global steel is produced using blast furnaces, around 20 per cent through electric arc furnaces and around five per cent as Direct Reduced Iron (DRI). DRI is seen as the most promising pathway to decarbonise iron and steelmaking. In the DRI process, gas and ultimately green hydrogen replace coal. BlueScope believed natural gas-based DRI could reduce steelmaking emissions by around 60 per cent, while green hydrogen-based DRI would take the process towards zero. DRI technology is also dependent on high-grade ores for steel fabrication in mining and Australia’s ore supply in the Pilbara is disadvantaged by high levels of impurities. Ms Archibald said the three companies would work together in attempt to find a way to process the low and medium-grade ores. “The challenge is to evolve the technology to unlock the ability to consume Australia’s abundant Pilbara ores in the DRI process,” she said. “This is really about how we crack the code with using the Pilbara ores in a DRI process.” She said the collaboration was critically important for BlueScope’s net zero 2050 goal.

Iron ore is Australia’s biggest export, and Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Simon Trott said the announcement was key to securing the industries into the long term. “With Central Queensland developing as Australia’s new green energy capital, we need to ensure that iron ore from Australia is well positioned for a green steel future,” Mr. Trott said. “Today is about making sure that that continues in the decades to come.” Incoming BHP Western Australia iron ore asset president Tim Day said the project was critical for Australia. “If we can crack it, it is actually going to be a significant uptick for mining plant and equipment , the Pilbara, Western Australia and Australia in general and the globe,” Mr. Day said. The steelmaker said a key advantage for the project would be adapting technology from its electric smelting furnace processing DRI in New Zealand. Locations around the country will be considered, including BlueScope’s Port Kembla steel mill. The companies said the cost was not resolved and would be shared equally amongst the partners, with the project also designed to allow additional partners including the federal government. The companies believed the pilot facility could be commissioned by 2027.

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U.S. Floats New Steel, Aluminum Tariffs Based On Carbon Emissions

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In addition to looking to decarbonize the oil and gas industry, U.S. officials are proposing to levy tariffs on steel and aluminum based on how much carbon the producing country’s industries emit. This is part of a bid to fight climate change and “dirty” metals made in China and elsewhere, two people familiar with the plan said on Wednesday.

U.S. steelmakers claim to have the world’s lowest carbon emissions levels, in part because 70% of American steel is made from scrap iron in electric-arc furnaces rather than smelting iron ore in coal-fired blast furnaces. Steelmakers elsewhere, including in Europe, rely more heavily on coal, and the plan as proposed would be advantageous to U.S. producers to leverage sustainable manufacturing, such as battery electric vehicles. The U.S.-EU talks on low-carbon steel have been aimed in large part at China, which relies on coal for most of its steel output as well as low-grade iron ore that contributes to high carbon emissions.

If implemented, the plan would provide new grounds for excluding Chinese steel from Western markets. Most U.S. tariffs are currently based on anti-dumping laws to combat pricing below production costs, laws aimed at combating unfair government subsidies or laws aimed at safeguarding strategic industries. The proposal from the U.S. Trade Representative’s office to be negotiated with the European Union would create a global “club” of market-oriented countries seeking to reduce carbon emissions. The plan would set “emissions intensity” standards for the production of specific steel and aluminum and products, according to a document describing the plan seen by Reuters.

Countries that are members of the “global arrangement” with emissions exceeding these standards would pay higher tariffs when exporting metals to countries with lower emissions, according to the document. Countries with steel and aluminum fabrication plant emissions at or below those of the importing country would pay no carbon-based tariffs. “There would be an advantage of being in the club, as it would provide a lower level of carbon tariffs, while countries outside the club would pay higher tariffs,” one of the sources said, adding that the proposal aimed to incentivize investments to reduce emissions. “This is all very conceptual and there’s a lot of work ahead on this. The details are going to be very important.”

Countries outside the low-emissions club would be subject to a higher rate of tariffs when exporting steel and aluminum to member countries. The proposal, which is now being shared with industry and EU officials, has grown out of U.S.-EU discussions on “green” steel production over the past year after Washington halted tariffs on EU-produced steel and aluminum in exchange for a quota system. The two sides agreed to work to reduce carbon emissions in steel and aluminum production of heavy steel fabrication companies while tackling the longstanding problem of excess capacity in the industries, much of it centered in China. The proposed low-emissions metals club would exclude China and other “non-market” economies dominated by state-owned or state-directed enterprises, setting out criteria to prohibit member countries from contributing to the problem of unviable excess steel and aluminum capacity. A USTR spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the plan.

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History of Iron Casting

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Cast iron has been used in metal work since the Bronze Age. The process has been refined over time to develop castings that were both strong and resilient, with less susceptibility to breakage. Castings were formed by pouring molten metal into a sand or clay mold. Since each component could be easily accounted for and cast separately, this method was ideal for mass-producing a limited number of products. This blog will map the history of casting iron and how it has developed through the ages from its use in ancient civilizations to the innovations brought about by the Industrial Revolution.

Iron Casting in Early Days

Ancient Egypt: The Hittites of ancient Egypt are credited with discovering the metal iron between 5000 and 3000 BCE. In this period, tools and weapons were made by pounding or hammering metal. The Hittites refined the method of smelting iron between 2000 and 1200 BCE, heating the ore to remove impurities and thus increasing the metal’s utility.

Iron Age: Much of Europe, Asia, and Africa entered the Iron Age when they began to produce iron and steel tools and weapons. Though iron may have been smelted occasionally during the Bronze Age as a primitive sheet metal fabrication technique, it was likely viewed as subpar at the time. As a result, iron tools and weapons weren’t as robust or durable as their bronze equivalents.

Persian Empire: Once mankind had mastered steel, it led to the Persians developing their weaponry and this was significant towards building of their empire. Compared to their bronze or stone counterparts, steel swords were sharper and more durable; however there were more safety hazards attached to metal fabrication during this period.

Casting in China: Cast components made from bronze and copper by Chinese metallurgists were once employed extensively in China’s agriculture sector. The introduction of the iron plough greatly facilitated the process of ploughing in agricultural settings. In 645 BCE, China began utilizing sand molding and this made a substantial impact on the iron casting process.

Later Developments

Blast Furnace: The blast furnace was another technological breakthrough invented in China where iron was refined before being utilized to create steel. In Europe, the blast furnace was originally used in Sweden, then spread to France and Belgium in the 1300s and finally to England in 1491.

America Iron Works: The Virginia Company of London built North America’s first iron foundries in 1619. The Saugus Iron Works, located in what is now Lynn, Massachusetts, was the first iron foundry in the Americas in 1642. The first iron casting in the United States, the Saugus pot, was created in this area as well and was used to develop mining plant and equipment.

Britain: The 1700s saw a flurry of innovations, the first of which was in 1709 when Abraham Darby used a coke-fired furnace to process iron instead of charcoal – thus playing a pivotal role in the development of the iron casting industry. James Watt created the steam engine in the late 1700s that could be used to power machines, locomotives, and ships. This improved the speed and efficiency with which raw materials and finished commodities could be transported using tanks throughout the iron casting industry.

Closing Remarks

As can be observed, the iron casting industry came a long way since its introduction in the ancient civilizations of China and Mesopotamia. War played a part in boosting the industry in recent times, with iron production in Britain increased between 1793 – 1815 in response to rising demand from the military. As of recently, Britain had the highest rate of iron and steel production in Europe. The innovation of iron casting techniques had a profound impact on the country’s economy and way of life – and was one of the major factors behind the rise and rise of the British Empire!

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Applications of Steel Fabrication in Mining Industry

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Due to their remote location and extreme conditions, mining projects require durable construction materials that can withstand the rigors of mining operations for many years. The remote location means very less access to replacements or repairs and mining infrastructure needs to be able to withstand searing heat, freezing nighttime temperatures, dust and sand storms and even hail and flooding. In this regard, steel fabrication is considered to be the prime raw material for the mining industry. So, what are the features and advantages of steel fabrication which makes it such a perfect fit for mining infrastructure? Let’s find out more in this blog.

Use of Iron Ore and Steel

Iron Ore and Steel

Iron ore is a rock that metallic iron is extracted from. In the modern world, we use iron ore in our everyday lives. Most of the iron ore is used to make steel, which is used in building an incredible variety of things. From trains, planes and automobiles to high-rise buildings and bridges, steel is used in the development of many, many products and industries. We use it to create everything from ships and pipe fabrication to machinery and tools, from building and construction to manufacturing cans of food and much, much more.

Steel is well known for its strength, but it is its malleable qualities that make it a preferred material of choice for most fabricators. Since steel is such a versatile material, it is ideal for applications that require heat induction bending as it can be bent or molded in many different ways without losing any of its durability. It is an essential material for the construction industry, automotive manufacturing, for the infrastructure required to generate and distribute energy and many other sectors ranging from household appliances to shipbuilding. It is a vital cog of the mining industry where the mining infrastructure itself is constructed using steel structural frameworks. It is also a critical part of the oil and gas industry, to know more click here.

Applications of Steel in Mining

Applications of Steel in Mining

Steel is the most common metal in the mining industry because of its benefits and properties, such as its low cost, strength, light weight, resistance to corrosion, durability, and sustainability. With computer-aided design technology, steel can be manufactured with greater efficiency and precision than ever before, which means that it is used for advanced pieces of equipment that contribute to mining, including:

Vehicles and Machinery: Including bulldozers, crushers, excavators, drill rigs, front end loaders, surface feeder-breakers, track loaders, trucks, graders and much more.

Tools: Steel is an essential material for manufacturing necessary tools like shovels, grinding equipment, demolition equipment and various handheld and machinery-installed devices.

Infrastructure: Including water tanks, pipes, vessels, boilers, screens, stairs, handrails, elevators, mine cages, conveyor belts and even basic workplace essentials like workbenches and doors.

Equipment: like high-strength plates, pumps, screens, filters, augers, blades, hammers, rippers and more.

Fabricated Steel Structures

Fabricated Steel Structures

Ensuring a safe work environment and preventing work-related injuries or worse is as vital as it is challenging when dealing with underground mining operations. To protect workers underground, structures made of fabricated steel are used. Underground mine workings must have strong, rigid, flexible supports that meet the required technical requirements and fabricated steel ticks all boxes.

Now, steel is used in every aspect of mining around the world. To even build the mines requires structural steel frameworks. Steel fabrication has been used to create a wide range of equipment for mining purposes.  In our modern age, this fabrication of steel is even more precise and efficient due to the use of computer-aided design technology.

Conclusion

The dependency of the mining industry on steel is patently obvious and hence, the availability of iron ore and steel to develop robust infrastructure based on steel fabrication is essential. Safety is a must-have requirement in mining and the qualities of steel help to meet this requirement in various mining global projects. Steel fabrication is also used in other industries like oil and gas, and this reinforces the fact that, in fabrication at least, steel is king!

© K999 Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. 2023