According to a joint statement by Peter Malinauskas, premier of South Australia, and Tom Koutsantonis, Australia’s minister for energy and mining, the sale process for the Whyalla steelworks of UK-based steelmaker Liberty Steel Group in Australia and associated mining operations has formally opened. A range of prospective buyers have already expressed interest in acquiring and transforming the integrated operations.
This move marks a significant step towards securing a long-term, sustainable future for steelmaking in Whyalla, after the state government intervened to put the steelworks into administration in February. In February, the South Australian state government announced that it will provide a funding worth A$2.38 billion to save the Whyalla steelworks, to support local jobs and to attract more investment into the Australian steel industry, as SteelOrbis previously reported.