- A pre-feasibility study will be conducted for
renewable hydrogen supply in the Pilbara
- Key focus on using renewable hydrogen at POSCO's
Hot Briquetted Iron plant
- The study will consider export of green fuel to
South Korea
South Korean steel making
company POSCO and French energy generator ENGIE will conduct a pre-feasibility
study for a major renewable hydrogen project in the Pilbara.
The study will determine
the feasibility of using renewable hydrogen to power POSCO's proposed Hot
Briquetted Iron (HBI) plant in Port Hedland.
Western Australia currently
provides 38 per cent of the world's supply of iron ore, which is processed
overseas to make steel.
HBI is a premium form of direct reduced
iron which will add downstream value to Pilbara iron before it is exported.
With a local HBI plant,
the State will have the ability to undertake an intermediate and important processing
step between iron ore and steel.
Being able to use renewable
hydrogen in the proposed plant will significantly reduce the global emissions
it creates and produce green iron.
The study will support development
plans for inland renewable energy sites, including wind and solar generation, a
hydrogen electrolyser, large-scale storage capability and a pipeline capable of
transporting green hydrogen. The study is expected to be completed in
early 2024.
Comments attributed to Hydrogen Minister Bill Johnston:
"Western Australia
continues to explore the potential uses of renewables in the resources sector
and this pre-feasibility study is a major step towards a clean energy future.
"This builds off our
successful Green Streel Opportunity report completed earlier this year, which
mapped how WA iron ore can reduce emissions in steelmaking.
"Producing green steel
would make WA a world player in the green industry, with current steel manufacturing
generating more than seven per cent of global carbon emissions.
"I look forward to the
outcomes from this pre-feasibility study.
