China Baowu, Rio Tinto succeed in low-carbon steelmaking trials using Pilbara iron ore

China Baowu Steel Group, the world's largest steelmaker, and Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, have completed industrial-scale trials demonstrating that mid-grade iron ore from Western Australia's Pilbara region can be used in hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) production, according to a press release by Rio Tinto on Friday.

The trials were conducted at China Baowu's Baoshan Iron & Steel Zhanjiang Steel Operations in South China's Guangdong province, the release noted. Pellet production was first carried out using a 5-million-tonnes/year grate-kiln facility, producing pellets containing one-third Pilbara Blend iron ore. These pellets were then fed into a hydrogen-based shaft