BlueScope Port Kembla steel plant
From Global Energy Monitor
| This article is part of the Global Iron and Steel Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor. |
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BlueScope Port Kembla steel plant, also known as Port Kembla Steelworks, Australian Iron and Steel Limited (AIS, predecessor), BlueScope Flat Products, is a steel plant in Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia that operates basic oxygen furnace (BOF) and blast furnace (BF) technology.
Location
The map below shows the exact location of the plant in Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia:
- Location: Five Islands Road, Port Kembla, NSW, 2505 Australia
- Coordinates (WGS 84): -34.463834, 150.886191 (exact)
Background
BlueScope's Port Kembla steelworks is the largest crude steel production plant in Australia.[1] The plant was established in 1928 using blast furnace from Lithgow plant. Steel production started in 1931 with an open hearth furnace. The company merged with BHP in 1935. After nearly 70 years, the association ended following BHP’s merger with Billiton PLC in 2001.[2] The company announced the full relining of the blast furnace 6 (BF 6) which was idled in 2011. After relining, expected to be completed in 2026, it will take the place of blast furnace 5.[3][4][5]
Workplace Accidents
In November 2025, during the reline of BF 6, a fatal accident occurred when a crane holding a steel beam struck a contractor.[6] Following the accident, SafeWork NSW cited BlueScope with improvement notices and increased regulator oversight.[7]
Eight months after the tragedy, six more incidents involving falling tools occurred with one event leading to the hospitalization of another contractor.[7]
In May, two more workplace breaches occurred on the site of BF 6. SafeWork NSW then provided another notice to BlueScope for withholding an additional incident involving falling steel plate.[7]
On June 11, 2026 SafeWork ordered a halt on construction when they discovered a missing containment mesh on the scaffolding. The next day a regulator filed an improvement notice after a contractor at BF 6 dropped a hammer from four meters up. At the end of the month, a contractor working at the hot strip mill was hospitalized after 200 kg of driving gear fell onto his feet.[7]
These accidents led to delay of the relining project which is projected to be finished by the end of FY2027.[8]
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Low-emissions/green steelmaking
This steel plant is associated with a green steel project tracked in the Green Steel Tracker. Details about the project are included below.
Table 1: Green Steel Project Details
| Project 1 | Project 2 | Project 3 | Project 4 | Project 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project name | BlueScope Port Kembla Steelworks Renewables & Emissions Reduction Study | BlueScope Port Kembla Steelworks Solid Oxide Electrolysis | NeoSmelt Pilot Kwinana | Not available | Bluescope Green Iron |
| Company | BlueScope Steel Limited | BlueScope Steel Limited | BlueScope Steel Limited | BlueScope Steel Limited | BlueScope Steel Limited |
| Company has climate goals? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Location | Port Kembla, Australia | Port Kembla, Australia | Kwinana Industrial Area, Australia | Not applicable, Australia | Not stated, Australia |
| Project website | Site | Site | Site | Not available | Site |
| Project scale | Pilot | Pilot | Pilot | R&D partnership | R&D partnership |
| Project status | Finalized (research & testing) | Finalized (research & testing) | Announced | Announced | Announced |
| Year to be online | – | – | 2028 | – | – |
| Technology to be used | Biomass for BF-BOF | H2 Production | NG-DRI to H-DRI + ESF | H-DRI | CCU for BF-BOF |
| Technology details | Coal substitution with biochar and use of H2 | Solid oxide electrolysis (tSOE) technology | Molten iron using direct reduced iron (DRI)-ESF technology. / Electric Smelting Furnace using renewable power | H-DR & biomass | Helios' proprietary technology uses sodium to replace coal in the steelmaking process, emitting only oxygen |
| Iron production capacity (million tonnes per year) | Not applicable | Not applicable | 0 | Not stated | Not stated |
| Steel production capacity (million tonnes per year) | Not applicable | Not applicable | 0 | Not stated | Not stated |
| CO2 capture (million tonnes CO2 per year) | Not stated | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Hydrogen generation capacity (MW) | Not applicable | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not applicable |
| Investment size (m USD) | 1.3 | Not stated | 50.9 | Not stated | Not stated |
| Actual start year | 2023 | 2024 | – | – | – |
| Partners | University of Wollongong, Future Fuels CRC | Australia’s national science agency (CSIRO) | BHP, Rio Tinto | Rio Tinto | Helios |
| Date of announcement | 6/16/2022 | 11/28/2024 | 12/17/2024 | 10/29/2021 | 9/18/2024 |
Plant Details
Table 2: General Plant Details
| Construction date | Start date | Workforce size | Power source | Iron ore source | Coal source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926[9] | 1928[10] | 3000[11] | unknown | Pilbara Iron Ore Mine[12] | Illawarra Metallurgical Coal (sold toGolden Energy and Resources Pte Ltd (GEAR) and M Resources Pty Ltd (M Resources)[13] |
Table 3: Ownership and Parent Company Information
| Parent company | Parent company PermID | Parent GEM entity ID | Owner | Owner company PermID | Owner GEM entity ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlueScope Steel Ltd [100.0%] | 4295858761 [100.0%] | E100000130689 [100.0%] | BlueScope Steel Ltd [100%][14] | 4295858761 | E100000130689 [100%] |
Table 4: Process and Products
| Steel product category | Steel products | Steel sector end users | ISO 14001 | ISO 50001 | Responsible steel | Main production equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| semi-finished, finished rolled[15] | slab, coil, plate, rebar, wire, flat[16][15] | automotive, building and infrastructure[17][18] | Expired[19] | unknown[20] | 2028-01-31[21][22] | BF; BOF |
Table 5: Plant-level Crude Steel Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Capacity operating status1 | Basic oxygen furnace steelmaking capacity | Nominal crude steel capacity (total) |
|---|---|---|
| operating | 3200[23][24] | 3200[23][24] |
Table 6: Plant-level Crude Iron Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Capacity operating status1 | Blast furnace capacity | Nominal iron capacity (total) |
|---|---|---|
| mothballed | 3000[25][23] | 3000[25][23] |
| operating pre-retirement | 3000[23] | 3000[23] |
Table 7: Upstream Products Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Ferronickel | Sinter | Coke |
|---|---|---|
| NF | >0[26] | >0[27] |
Table 8: Actual Plant-level Crude Steel Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Year | BOF production | Other/unknown steel production |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | –[28] | –[28] |
| 2020 | –[28] | –[28] |
| 2021 | –[28] | –[28] |
| 2022 | –[28] | –[28] |
| 2023 | unknown | unknown |
| 2024 | unknown | unknown |
| 2025 | unknown | unknown |
Table 9: Actual Plant-level Crude Iron Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Year | BF production | Other/unknown iron production |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | unknown | unknown |
| 2020 | unknown | unknown |
| 2021 | unknown | unknown |
| 2022 | unknown | unknown |
| 2023 | unknown | unknown |
| 2024 | unknown | unknown |
| 2025 | unknown | unknown |
Unit Details
Table 10: Blast Furnace Details
| Unit name | Status | Start date | Retired date | Current size | Current capacity (ttpa) | Decarbonization technology | Most recent relining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BF 5 | operating pre-retirement[29] | 1972[30][9] | 2030[31][29] | 3427.0 m3[32] | 3000[23] | unknown | 2009-08[33] |
| BF 6 | mothballed[34] | 1996[9][32] | – | 3208.0 m3[32] | 3000[25][23] | Exploring potential use of biochar to replace coal[35] | – |
Table 11: Basic Oxygen Furnace Details
| Unit name | Status | Start date | Current capacity (ttpa) |
|---|---|---|---|
| unknown BOF (1) | operating[36] | 1972[37] | 3200[24][23] |
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Iron and Steel Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ About Us, BlueScope Illawarra, Retrieved on: May 20, 2020
- ↑ "Australian Iron & Steel, Port Kembla | Illawarra Heritage Trail". www.illawarra-heritage-trail.com.au. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ↑ "BlueScope Steel to reline Port Kembla blast furnace". Steel Times International. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ↑ "'No alternative' but to upgrade coal-blast furnace at Port Kembla, BlueScope Steel announces". ABC News. 2023-08-21. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ↑ "Sustainability Report FY2023" (PDF). Bluescope. 2023. Retrieved 31 October, 2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Workers 'in shock' after steelworks contractor killed by steel beam". Retrieved 2025-12-02.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Falling 200kg drive gear injures steel worker months after workplace death". Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ "BlueScope Annual Reports". www.bluescope.com. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20231020171042/https://www.illawarra-heritage-trail.com.au/australian-iron-steel-port-kembla/. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20211221045656/https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220309183245/https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/working-at-bluescope/. Archived from the original on 2022-03-09.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Transforming Port Kembla Steelworks". www.bluescope.com. Archived from the original on 2025-04-30. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ "Bluescope officially supports the sale of Illawarra Metallurgical Coal". Archived from the original on 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20211205141952/https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/about-us/. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 15.0 15.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220121110219/https://www.bluescope.com/about-us/our-business/australian-steel-products/. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Our Products". www.bluescope.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-17. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210817234205/http://www.steel.com.au/articles/environmental-product-declarations. Archived from the original on 2021-08-17.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20231030195155/https://www.bluescope.com/our-steel/our-products/industries. Archived from the original on 2023-10-30.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220319201848/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/bluescope-corporate-umbraco-media/media/3185/bsi_iso14001-asp-certificate.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-03-19.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220319203352/https://www.bluescope.com/sustainable-steel/awards-and-certificates/. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/653ed7060b01292cd4518d0e/6839e09663f212a02d7e8936_ResponsibleSteel_PublicSummaryReport%2020250520_final.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Issued and Ongoing Certifications". Responsible Steel. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 23.7 23.8 https://web.archive.org/web/20220119214445/https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/about-us/how-steel-is-made/. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 https://imis.aist.org/store/detail.aspx?id=PR-RU2022-8.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20221011031931/https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=EXH-39167964%2120220721T233107.814%20GMT. Archived from the original on 2022-10-11.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220818015415/https://www.bluescope.com:443/investors/investor-news/2014/10/restart-of-the-port-kembla-steelworks-sinter-plant/. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220808011046/https://www.bluescope.com:443/bluescope-news/2020/05/bluescope-processes-support-nsw-hospitals/. Archived from the original on 2022-08-08.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 28.6 28.7 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240119094144/https://www.bluescope.com/content/dam/bluescope/corporate/bluescope-com/investor/documents/2023_BlueScope_FY_Results_Financial_and_Despatch_History.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-01-19.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 29.0 29.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220921001857/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-21/bluescope-half-yearly-profit-port-kembla-/100847170. Archived from the original on 2022-09-21.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20211207121437/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/bluescope-illawarra-umbraco-media/media/1439/appendix-b.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-12-07.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20221025031734/https://www.bluescopeillawarra.com.au/pksw-no6-blast-furnace-reline/. Archived from the original on 2022-10-25.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 https://www.readkong.com/page/reengineering-bluescope-steel-s-port-kembla-sinter-plant-4335944.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.readkong.com/page/reengineering-bluescope-steel-s-port-kembla-sinter-plant-4335944 https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/bluescope-illawarra-umbraco-media/media/1439/appendix-b.pdf, https://www.readkong.com/page/reengineering-bluescope-steel-s-port-kembla-sinter-plant-4335944.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20221031105320/https://www.bluescope.com/bluescope-news/2021/02/port-kembla-steelworks-blast-furnace-reline/. Archived from the original on 2022-10-31.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20231030153120/https://www.bluescope.com/content/dam/bluescope/corporate/bluescope-com/sustainability/documents/2023_BlueScope_Report_Sustainability_Report.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-10-30.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220818083645/https://ieaghg.org/docs/General_Docs/Iron%20and%20Steel%202%20Secured%20presentations/3_1105%20Habib%20Zughbi.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-08-18.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "50 Years of Basic Oxygen Steelmaking". www.bluescope.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
