Major milestone reached for Western Australia’s first steel mill
Green Steel of WA has officially lodged an application for development approval to construct a green steel recycling mill in Collie.
The project, estimated at $400 million, represents a significant leap toward establishing Western Australia’s first green steel mill and creating a sustainable steel industry for the state. It is on track for a final investment decision in Q3 2024, with operations slated to commence in 2026.
Located near the town of Collie, the project will produce 450,000 tonnes of green steel each year and is expected to generate up to 500 jobs during the construction phase and create 200 highly skilled, long-term positions for local workers most impacted by the energy transition.
Green Steel’s Collie mill will be the first major facility developed in the newly established Coolangatta Special Industrial Area, which is set to become a prominent green manufacturing hub. The project has garnered robust support from both local and state governments, underscoring their commitment to a Just Transition for the town of Collie.
Collie Shire President Ian Miffling said: “This green steel mill is another step towards Collie cementing its place in the Western Australian economy as a green industrial hub that will provide high-quality long-term jobs for workers in the coal mines and power stations, ensuring Collie has a bright and prosperous future.”
Powered by renewable energy, the Collie mill will not only be Australia’s first green steel mill but also the country’s first entirely new steel mill in over three decades. The plant’s operations will usher in a circular economy for steel in Western Australia by converting 500,000 tonnes of locally sourced scrap steel, currently exported for processing, into low-carbon rebar.
The Collie mill is expected to reduce more than 500,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year through a combination of a more efficient manufacturing process, the use of renewable energy, and significantly reduced transport requirements.
In collaboration with the state government and major industries, Green Steel of WA is actively promoting the local recycling of scrap steel and advocating for the use of locally produced green steel in major projects throughout the state.
Green Steel of WA’s objective is to establish a world-class green steel industry for Western Australia. The Collie project represents the company’s first step toward creating a green steelmaking industry in the state, setting the stage for a far larger green hydrogen-based steelmaking industry utilising Western Australia’s abundant iron ore and renewable energy reserves.
In partnership with its exclusive technology partner Danieli, the company is also developing a larger, hydrogen-ready Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) plant in WA’s mid-west, with operations slated to commence in 2028. The company envisions that project will play a pivotal role in kick-starting Western Australia’s green steel and green hydrogen industries.
Pictured: Green Steel director Bob Cowan, Collie Shire President Ian Miffling, Green Steel director Azlan Ho and Collie Shire CEO Stuart Devenish.