https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/a...iron-industry-as-pm-seeks-china-collaboration BHP says too costly to build Australian green iron industry, as Albanese seeks China collaboration The lack of enthusiasm from the world’s biggest miner BHP came as a reality check for Australia’s ambitions. BHP deems Australian "green iron" production too expensive, despite government support and China's collaboration, costing double Middle East/China rates. Australia aims to diversify from raw material exports (A$370 billion annually) with green iron, but faces high power and labour costs. Pilot plants for low-carbon iron production are underway by BHP, Rio Tinto, Bluescope and Fortescue, with potential operation from 2028. MELBOURNE – Major miner BHP has said it is too costly for Australia to build a “green iron” industry after the country and China agreed this week to jointly work to decarbonise the steel supply chain, responsible for nearly a tenth of global emissions. BHP Australia chief Geraldine Slattery, who attended business roundtables with Australian and Chinese industry leaders in China this week, said that costs to produce the low-carbon steel product “simply do not stack up”. “Even with generous policy support, the cost of production (in Australia) would be double that of the Middle East and China – and customers many thousands of kilometres away,” Ms Slattery said in a social media post late on July 15. Ms Slattery and other CEOs of mining companies accompanied Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on a visit to China this week, where he said the two countries should cooperate more closely on green steel. The lack of enthusiasm from the world’s biggest miner, which said its strategy was “not to produce green iron ore or steel ourselves”, in the wake of the talks came as a reality check for Australia’s ambitions. Australia supplies about 60 per cent of China’s iron ore needs but its supply is too low-grade to be directly processed into steel with renewable energy, so it needs an additional processing step. When this step is undertaken with hydrogen made from renewable energy or with biomass instead of coal, the resulting product is called green iron, a low-carbon base for making green steel. Such processes are not expected to become widely commercial until the next decade. MCI (P) 066/10/2023. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2025 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.
And I was wondering why the nonsensical push for hydrogen cars.. Because it's a component of green steel processing
Yup better to keep on using ICE's and EV's that get their electricity from natty gas, coal, oil, nukes and some solar & wind. Don't bother to strive at all for something better.