<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-green-iron-invention-heads-to-us-as-plans-for-biggest-plant-advance/>
"An Australian invention designed to boost green iron production is heading to
the United States after its creators discovered an export market by chance.
But the company plans to save its first large-scale unit for Australia and what
could be the nation’s first commercial green iron plant.
Mining technology firm DryFlow Magnetics revealed the milestone at its Adelaide
facility on Tuesday, showing off a machine capable of processing 20 tonnes of
iron ore per hour.
The announcement comes days after a Climate Energy Finance report warned
Australia must accelerate green iron and steel production or risk the value of
its iron ore exports, and after the federal government launched a $1 billion
investment fund to support early projects.
Green iron is produced using renewable energy, such as solar, wind and
hydrogen, and could cut 90 per cent of emissions from the steelmaking process.
But its creation requires high-grade iron ore, which is often extracted using
large amounts of water.
The modular unit built in Adelaide instead separates high-quality iron using
patented magnets, and can produce iron with a 67 per cent purity that is needed
to produce green steel.
The company made a 20-tonne unit to test its process, DryFlow Magnetics chief
executive Brett Boynton said, but found a buyer for the machine when contacted
by US Iron.
“We didn’t expect the interest from offshore,” he told
AAP.
“We know that there’s iron being produced in other countries – obviously
Australia is the dominant player so we’re focused on the Australian market —
but in the US there’s a structural deficit in iron.”
The Australian machine would be used in the Mojave Desert, Mr Boynton said,
where operators do not have water to spare to process high-quality iron.
The company had completed engineering work on a larger commercial machine for
Peak Iron Mines’ Hawks Nest project outside Coober Pedy, he said, which could
deliver Australia’s first green iron plant."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
