Commemorating coke ovens and celebrating GREENSTEEL

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas have visited the Whyalla Steelworks In Australia to commemorate the closure of the coke ovens and celebrate the GFG Alliance continuing journey towards GREENSTEEL and its CN30 ambition.

The Prime Minister and Premier were welcomed to the steelworks on Monday, 25 September by GFG Alliance Australian President Dak Patel and CEO Primary Steel and Mining Theuns Victor along with more than 100 steelworks employees and guests.

They were given a virtual reality experience of the Whyalla LIBERTY Primary Steel and SIMEC Mining operations, a briefing of GFG Alliance plans for the future in Whyalla before joining former coke oven operators Joel Varcin (Manager Coke Ovens) and Simon Jones (Coke Ovens Operations Superintendent) to unveil a plaque marking the 55-year history of the coke-making operation.

After an incredible 55 years we must pause to recognise the vital role the coke ovens played at the steelworks and the incredible contribution of the highly skilled workers who were a part of this era

Sanjeev Gupta – GFG Alliance Executive Chairman

Along with South Australian Minister for Energy and Mining Tom Koutsantonis and local Member for Giles Eddie Hughes, the Prime Minister and Premier were then given a tour of the steelworks including proposed sites for an Electric Arc Furnace and hydrogen electrical power facilities.

GFG Alliance Executive Chairman Sanjeev Gupta, who addressed the gathering with a video message, said the business was very proud to be working with forward-thinking Governments on its green steel transformation.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Federal and South Australian government for their support and encouragement, and we look forward with confidence to delivering our green steel vision with them as partners on this journey,” Sanjeev said. 

Sanjeev took the opportunity to praise coke ovens’ workers after the historic final push on September 15 2023, signifying the end of producing coke from metallurgical coal on site for use in the blast furnace.

“After an incredible 55 years we must pause to recognise the vital role the coke ovens played at the steelworks and the incredible contribution of the highly skilled workers who were a part of this era,” he said. 

“Coal based steelmaking has helped to build the modern world but it is now time to rethink and reengineer how the steel we make can continue to build our world going forward.

“It is an incredible testament to our values that 100 percent of the coke ovens workforce have chosen to continue with the business in alternative roles and to be part of the transformation.”

We’re extremely grateful to the Federal and South Australian government for their support and encouragement, and we look forward with confidence to delivering our green steel vision with them as partners on this journey

Sanjeev Gupta – GFG Alliance Executive Chairman

Sanjeev said Whyalla was the ideal place to usher in the next generation of green steel making technology. 

“With our reserves of over 4 billion tonnes of high quality magnetite ore and South Australia’s natural blessings of wind and solar energy, there is no better place to usher in the next generation of steel making technology based on clean energy and green hydrogen,” he said. 

GFG Alliance announced in April 2023 a state-of-the-art Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) had been ordered and would replace the existing coke-fed blast furnace. Coke will be imported for use in the blast furnace until the installation of the EAF.

Main picture: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and South Australian Peter Malinauskas, hold a press conference at the steelworks.

Read more about the coke ovens and GREENSTEEL

Emotional day for coke ovens final push

Every coke oven operator redeployed

Celebrating our diverse coke oven team

History in the making with coke ovens closure

The Prime Minister and Premier’s visit in pictures