Australia's NeoSmelt secures funds to support lower-emissions steel project

NeoSmelt, a joint venture formed last year and managed by BlueScope, Australia's largest steelmaker, has received A$19.8-million ($12.9 million) funding from the Australia government's Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to support its plans to develop an electric smelting furnace (ESF) pilot plant in Western Australia that aims to produce lower-carbon emissions molten iron from WA iron ore, Mysteel Global learns.

The NeoSmelt pilot plant, planned to be built at the Kwinana Industrial Area, south of Perth, aims to prove that Pilbara iron ore can be used to produce lower-carbon emissions molten iron using the DRI-ESF technology, where iron ore is first converted to direct reduced iron (DRI) before being