Andrew Forrest, head of Fortescue Metals, says that his company plans to start making green steel in Australia by 2023 using hydrogen fuel.
Forrest said that this is a step towards his goal of producing carbon neutral steel by 2030. This will be done by reducing carbon emissions, rather than using carbon offset schemes.
When Forrest announced Fortescue’s move to green steel, he said that it was a historic day. He expects more steelmakers to follow his example of using net-zero technologies, and said:
“Once the world started to look at the fact that there’s other ways to make steel – we don’t have to just accept it has to be coal-based – then innovative technologies have started to spring up everywhere.”
Forrest added that producing green hydrogen to make green steel still needed government approval to meet the 2023 deadline.
Steel has many uses in manufacturing. As consumers embrace online sales, there is large demand for new warehouses to process online orders. Every warehouse equipment manufacturer relies on tubular steel to make the shelving trolleys, packing tables and other equipment for warehouses.
Tubular steel requires a large amount of energy to manufacture. Steelmakers are looking at ways to reduce the carbon emissions from the energy they use. Hydrogen fuel is among the many technologies being developed. Some experts do doubt, however, whether hydrogen is the best solution. A report by the International Council on Clean Transportation said that green electricity is cheaper than hydrogen.
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