BlueScope Port Kembla steel plant

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BlueScope Port Kembla steel plant, also known as Port Kembla Steelworks, Australian Iron and Steel Limited (AIS, predecessor), BlueScope Flat Products, is a steel plant in Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia that operates blast furnace (BF) and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) technology.

Location

The map below shows the exact location of the plant in Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia:

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  • Location: Five Islands Road, Port Kembla, NSW, 2505 Australia
  • Coordinates (WGS 84): -34.463834, 150.886191 (exact)

Background

BlueScope's Port Kembla steelworks is the largest crude steel production plant in Australia.[1] The plant was established in 1928 using blast furnace from Lithgow plant. Steel production started in 1931 with an open hearth furnace. The company merged with BHP in 1935. After nearly 70 years, the association ended following BHP’s merger with Billiton PLC in 2001.[2] The company announced the full relining of the blast furnace 6 which was idled in 2011. After relining, expected to be completed in 2026, it will take the place of blast furnace 5.[3][4][5]

Low-emissions/green steelmaking

This steel plant is associated with a green steel project tracked in the Green Steel Tracker. Details about the project are included below.

Table 1: Green Steel Project Details

All references for the above data are available in the Green Steel Tracker.
Project 1 Project 2 Project 3 Project 4 Project 5
Project name Port Kembla Steelworks Renewables & Emissions Reduction Study ESF Australia Port Kembla Steelworks solid oxide electrolysis (tSOE) Not available Bluescope x Helios Green Iron
Company BlueScope Steel Limited BlueScope Steel Limited BlueScope Steel Limited BlueScope Steel Limited BlueScope Steel Limited
Company has climate goals? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Location Port Kembla, Australia Not defined yet, Australia Port Kembla, Australia Not applicable, Australia Not stated, Australia
Project website Site Site Site Not available Site
Project scale Pilot Pilot Pilot R&D partnership R&D partnership
Project status Finalized (research & testing) Announced Finalized (research & testing) Announced Announced
Year to be online 2023 2027 2024 Not stated 2026
Technology to be used Biomass for BF Electric Smelting Furnace (ESF) H2 production H-DRI Not stated
Technology details Coal substitution with biochar and use of H2 Electric Smelting Furnace using renewable power Solid oxide electrolysis (tSOE) technology H-DR & biomass Helios' proprietary technology uses sodium to replace coal in the steelmaking process, emitting only oxygen
Iron production capacity (million tonnes per year) Not applicable Not stated Not applicable Not stated Not stated
Steel production capacity (million tonnes per year) Not applicable Not stated Not applicable Not stated Not stated
CO2 capture (million tonnes CO2 per year) Not stated Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable
Hydrogen generation capacity (MW) Not applicable Not applicable Not stated Not stated Not applicable
Investment size (m USD) 1.3 Not stated Not stated Not stated Not stated
Actual start year 2023 2024
Partners University of Wollongong, Future Fuels CRC Rio Tinto, BHP Australia’s national science agency (CSIRO) Rio Tinto Helios
Date of announcement 2022-06-16 2024-02-09 2024-11-28 2021-10-29 2024-09-18

Plant Details

Table 2: General Plant Details

Construction date Start date Workforce size Power source Iron ore source Coal source
1926[6] 1928[7] 3000[8] unknown Pilbara Iron Ore Mine[9] Illawarra Metallurgical Coal (sold toGolden Energy and Resources Pte Ltd (GEAR) and M Resources Pty Ltd (M Resources)[10]

Table 3: Ownership and Parent Company Information

Parent company Parent company PermID Parent company GEM ID Owner Owner company PermID Owner company GEM ID
BlueScope Steel Ltd 4295858761 E100000130689 BlueScope Steel Ltd[11] 4295858761 E100000130689

Table 4: Process and Products

Steel product category Steel products Steel sector end users ISO 14001 ISO 50001 Responsible steel Main production equipment
semi-finished, finished rolled[12] slab, coil, plate, rebar, wire, flat[13][12] automotive, building and infrastructure[14][15] Expired[16] unknown[17] 2022-02[18] BF; BOF

Table 5: Plant-level Crude Steel Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

1Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status1 Basic oxygen furnace steelmaking capacity Nominal crude steel capacity (total)
operating 3200[19] 3200[19]

Table 6: Plant-level Crude Iron Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

1Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status1 Blast furnace capacity Nominal iron capacity (total)
mothballed 3000[20][21] 3000[20][21]
operating pre-retirement 3000[21] 3000[21]

Table 7: Upstream Products Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

Ferronickel Sinter Coke
NF >0[22] >0[23]

Table 8: Actual Plant-level Crude Steel Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year BOF production Other/unknown steel production Total (all routes)
2019 3013[24] [24] 3013[24]
2020 3210[24] [24] 3210[24]
2021 3257[24] [24] 3257[24]
2022 3219[24] [24] 3219[24]
2023 unknown unknown
2024 unknown unknown

Table 9: Actual Plant-level Crude Iron Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year BF production Other/unknown iron production
2019 unknown unknown
2020 unknown unknown
2021 unknown unknown
2022 unknown unknown
2023 unknown unknown
2024 unknown unknown

Unit Details

Table 10: Blast Furnace Details

Unit name Status Start date Retired date Current size Current capacity (ttpa) Decarbonization technology Most recent relining
BF 5 operating pre-retirement[25] 1972[26][6] 2030[27][25] 3427.0 m3[28] 3000[21] unknown 2009-08[29]
BF 6 mothballed[30] 1996[6][28] 3208.0 m3[28] 3000[20][21] Exploring potential use of biochar to replace coal[31]

Table 11: Basic Oxygen Furnace Details

Unit name Status Start date Current capacity (ttpa)
unknown BOF (1) operating[32] 1972[33] 3200[34][21]

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel power plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Iron and Steel Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

References

  1. About Us, BlueScope Illawarra, Retrieved on: May 20, 2020
  2. "Australian Iron & Steel, Port Kembla | Illawarra Heritage Trail". www.illawarra-heritage-trail.com.au. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  3. "BlueScope Steel to reline Port Kembla blast furnace". Steel Times International. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  4. "'No alternative' but to upgrade coal-blast furnace at Port Kembla, BlueScope Steel announces". ABC News. 2023-08-21. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  5. "Sustainability Report FY2023" (PDF). Bluescope. 2023. Retrieved 31 October, 2023. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20231020171042/https://www.illawarra-heritage-trail.com.au/australian-iron-steel-port-kembla/. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20211221045656/https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. https://web.archive.org/web/20220309183245/https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/working-at-bluescope/. Archived from the original on 2022-03-09. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. https://www.bluescope.com/our-steel/case-studies/Transforming-Port-Kembla-Steelworks. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. "Bluescope officially supports the sale of Illawarra Metallurgical Coal". Archived from the original on 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  11. https://web.archive.org/web/20211205141952/https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/about-us/. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. 12.0 12.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220121110219/https://www.bluescope.com/about-us/our-business/australian-steel-products/. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. "Our Products". www.bluescope.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-17. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  14. https://web.archive.org/web/20210817234205/http://www.steel.com.au/articles/environmental-product-declarations. Archived from the original on 2021-08-17. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. https://web.archive.org/web/20231030195155/https://www.bluescope.com/our-steel/our-products/industries. Archived from the original on 2023-10-30. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220319201848/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/bluescope-corporate-umbraco-media/media/3185/bsi_iso14001-asp-certificate.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-03-19. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. https://web.archive.org/web/20220319203352/https://www.bluescope.com/sustainable-steel/awards-and-certificates/. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. "Issued and Ongoing Certifications". Responsible Steel. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19.
  19. 19.0 19.1 https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/about-us/how-steel-is-made/;AIST_BOF_2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20221011031931/https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=EXH-39167964%2120220721T233107.814%20GMT. Archived from the original on 2022-10-11. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 https://web.archive.org/web/20220119214445/https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/about-us/how-steel-is-made/. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. https://web.archive.org/web/20220818015415/https://www.bluescope.com:443/investors/investor-news/2014/10/restart-of-the-port-kembla-steelworks-sinter-plant/. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. https://web.archive.org/web/20220808011046/https://www.bluescope.com:443/bluescope-news/2020/05/bluescope-processes-support-nsw-hospitals/. Archived from the original on 2022-08-08. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. 24.00 24.01 24.02 24.03 24.04 24.05 24.06 24.07 24.08 24.09 24.10 24.11 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240119094144/https://www.bluescope.com/content/dam/bluescope/corporate/bluescope-com/investor/documents/2023_BlueScope_FY_Results_Financial_and_Despatch_History.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-01-19. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. 25.0 25.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220921001857/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-21/bluescope-half-yearly-profit-port-kembla-/100847170. Archived from the original on 2022-09-21. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20211207121437/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/bluescope-illawarra-umbraco-media/media/1439/appendix-b.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-12-07. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. https://web.archive.org/web/20221025031734/https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/pksw-no6-blast-furnace-reline/. Archived from the original on 2022-10-25. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 https://www.readkong.com/page/reengineering-bluescope-steel-s-port-kembla-sinter-plant-4335944. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  29. https://www.readkong.com/page/reengineering-bluescope-steel-s-port-kembla-sinter-plant-4335944 https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/bluescope-illawarra-umbraco-media/media/1439/appendix-b.pdf, https://www.readkong.com/page/reengineering-bluescope-steel-s-port-kembla-sinter-plant-4335944. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. https://web.archive.org/web/20221031105320/https://www.bluescope.com/bluescope-news/2021/02/port-kembla-steelworks-blast-furnace-reline/. Archived from the original on 2022-10-31. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  31. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20231030153120/https://www.bluescope.com/content/dam/bluescope/corporate/bluescope-com/sustainability/documents/2023_BlueScope_Report_Sustainability_Report.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-10-30. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220818083645/https://ieaghg.org/docs/General_Docs/Iron%20and%20Steel%202%20Secured%20presentations/3_1105%20Habib%20Zughbi.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-08-18. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. "50 Years of Basic Oxygen Steelmaking". www.bluescope.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  34. AIST_BOF_2022

Resources