Australian miner Rio Tinto has announced that together with China Baowu, they have successfully completed industrial-scale palletization and direct reduction trials in China using its Pilbara Blend iron ore, marking a significant step in efforts to develop lower-carbon steelmaking technologies.
The trials were carried out as part of the companies' ongoing decarbonization partnership and demonstrate the potential for Pilbara iron ore to be used in hydrogen-based direct reduction processes.
Hydrogen-based shaft furnace successfully tested
The trials took place at Baoshan Iron & Steel's Zhanjiang Steel operations, where a hydrogen-based shaft furnace was used to produce direct reduced iron (DRI) from pellets containing approximately one-third Pilbara Blend iron ore. The resulting DRI was subsequently converted into steel using an industrial-scale basic oxygen furnace and was also tested in a small-scale electric smelting furnace.
According to the companies, the results confirm that mid-grade iron ore from Western Australia's Pilbara region can be used as feedstock in hydrogen-based direct reduction processes.
Potential pathway for lower-carbon steelmaking
The companies said the trials demonstrate the potential for Pilbara Blend ore to support future low-carbon steelmaking when combined with electric smelting furnace technology.
While direct reduction processes are currently used primarily with high-grade iron ore, expanding the range of suitable feedstock materials remains a major focus for the steel industry as it seeks to reduce carbon emissions.
The successful trials provide further evidence that Pilbara ores could play a role in future steelmaking pathways that generate significantly lower emissions than conventional blast furnace operations.
