RSES Seminar Series 2024-10-10 David Heslop (Australian National University)

Paving the Way for Green Steel: Australia's Role in Reducing Global Carbon Emissions
David Heslop (RSES, ANU)

Abstract: Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change will require innovative technologies that drastically cut greenhouse emissions. In Australia, this push for low or zero-emission solutions is now a key part of the National Science and Research Priorities. One of the biggest challenges is the global steel industry, which accounts for over 7% of carbon emissions. Developing "green" steel, produced with minimal or zero emissions, will be crucial in the fight against climate change.

In this seminar, I'll delve into what green steel is and the technological hurdles that need to be overcome to make it a reality on a large scale. Australia, as the world’s leading producer of iron ore, plays a vital role in this process. However, much of the iron ore found in Australia, made up of minerals like magnetite, hematite, and goethite, isn’t yet compatible with envisaged green steel production methods. I’ll also discuss how magnetic separation techniques can help improve the quality of this ore, making it a better fit for sustainable steel manufacturing.