Whyalla featured on hit documentary series Australian Story
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This episode is a special edition as we join Sanjeev and our people across the business as they share their 2022 highlights and look ahead to the new year. Plus, listen out for your chance to win a prize in our competition. 13 mins.
Listener Competition – WIN A SET OF HEADPHONES
This is your chance to win a pair of Beats Studio 3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones, on which to listen to future episodes of Spoken, the podcast for GFG Alliance colleagues across the world. Listen to the SPOKEN podcast now to find the answer to the question below:
In the podcast, Gary Grove shares his highlights for 2022 and what he’s looking forward to in 2023. Which part of the business is Gary from?
Listener competition – Terms and Conditions
- Entry to this competition is only open to employees of a GFG Alliance business.
- Only one entry per employee is permitted.
- To be added into the draw your answer needs to be correct.
- Entry must be by email to spoken@gfgalliance.com and be received no later than 31 January 2023.
- Entries must include:
- The employee’s answer to the question
- The employee’s: Full name, Business Unit and site address. An email address and contact telephone number.
The winner will be drawn at random from all correct entries received by the closing date. There will be no cash alternative. The winner will be notified by email.
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Show Transcript
| TIMECODE | NAME | Dialogue |
| 00:00:00 | JINGLE | Spoken from GFG Alliance. |
| 00:00:03 | CHLOE TILLEY | Hello and welcome to Spoken the podcast for GFG Alliance colleagues across the world. I’m Chloe Tilley and for our last podcast of the year we’ll going be finding out what your proudest moments of 2022 are, and what you’re most looking forward to in 2023. |
| 00:00:19 | Plus, we have a competition for your chance to win a great prize, so listen carefully as the answer will be contained in this show. First, we’re joined by Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Chairman, GFG Alliance. Hi, Sanjeev. | |
| 00:00:33 | SANJEEV GUPTA | Hi, Chloe. |
| 00:00:34 | CHLOE TILLEY | Let’s get underway with your reflections on 2022. |
| 00:00:37 | SANJEEV GUPTA | I think it would be good to compare this year with last. So 2021 was an absolute shocker. Unexpectedly, our main financier, Greensill, collapsed. We were thrown into complete disarray, everyone had to go to battle stations, we had to batten down the hatches and you know, we had to really fight to get through that. There was a lot of uncertainty, a lot of disturbance and frankly, many people thought we wouldn’t get through it. |
| 00:01:09 | But we got through it. We were victorious and many of the changes we implemented there, such as Project Athena have long lasting impact even now, so that was a great year, one to be proud of for sure. | |
| 00:01:22 | Now this year is very, very different. This is more like a long grind. You know, what followed the collapse of the steel markets caused by the Russia, Ukraine crisis is that we’ve had to really, really, really change the way we do business. And we’ve come up with this model which has now become GFG hallmark where we’re able to flex our integrated blast furnaces up and down based on market conditions. | |
| 00:01:52 | This is something which is a remarkable achievement and one that most people would have said a year ago was impossible or dangerous and so on, whereas we have mastered it now. And it provides us a great, great tool to manage the choppy waters as you face these days. | |
| 00:02:08 | And of course, the most important thing, the most important event of the year is that, after a long and protracted negotiation, we reached an agreement in principle with our creditors to settle all the Greensill liabilities. This will pave the way for new and a more invigorated group to relaunch to next year which is very satisfactory. And now we are busy trying to make that come true. | |
| 00:02:39 | CHLOE TILLEY | And what are your most memorable events of 2022 as far as the company is concerned? |
| 00:02:44 | SANJEEV GUPTA | We have two main pillars to our overall decarbonization strategy. One is based around electric arc furnaces rather than blast furnaces using local scrap and also using DRI. And the second of course is actually making that DRI at a global scale. So I think those two work really, really moved on this year in terms of our strategy and action. We made history in Ostrava in Czech where we signed the contract with Danieli to build Europe’s first hybrid electric arc furnaces. Europe’s first large integrated plant to move away from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces, followed afterwards by the acquisition of electric arc furnaces in Korea as well from Galati. |
| 00:03:27 | So that was amazing because now you know we really have a strategy in action, two out of our three blast furnaces already on their way. Two to be converted to electric arc furnaces. And then in Whyalla many, many years work finally coming through. We have identified our magnetite reserves. Over 4 billion tons already. We produced our first sample magnetite DRI pellets which was incredible to hold. And a plan to go to 15 million tons from 2 ½ million in the next 3, 4 years and then to 30 by end of the decade. | |
| 00:04:02 | So these two strategies really come together to form the very foundations of our overall mission. So seeing those two things progress was really very satisfactory. | |
| 00:04:13 | CHLOE TILLEY | We’ll be hearing colleague’s proudest moment shortly. And on that note, I imagine the Foundation stands out for you this year. |
| 00:04:19 | SANJEEV GUPTA | Yes, Chloe, this is something I’m very proud of because again, despite all the difficulties of the last two years, we’ve not just kept on this road, we’ve actually accelerated in all respects. The Foundation group, we launched a new foundation in Tasmania. We registered, formally registered it as a charity in Czech Republic. The Greensteel Academy grew across Europe. The Chairman’s Awards again something very important because it reflects our belief in our values. They really grew as well. They had the most diverse and broad range of participants this year compared to the past. |
| 00:04:53 | So it shows really that it’s really sort of getting bedded in. And we had finally we had our first global health challenge which was, you know, which was embraced with great excitement by all the businesses. So a lot of really good stuff and I’m particularly proud of the foundation. It’s come a long way since we started in the UK. I mean you know, it’s now I think it’s something like 90 odd schools and universities around the world, almost 8000 students participating. So it’s really, really beginning to sort of catch momentum and grow. | |
| 00:05:23 | CHLOE TILLEY | Well, another year seems to have flown by. So we spoke with colleagues across the business to find out about their proudest moments and highlights of 2022. First, here’s Dave Grant, Director, Training and Learning Systems, Liberty Steel, US. |
| 00:05:38 | DAVE GRANT | What I like about the team that I work with, not only within the United States but of course globally, is we all pretty much love each other. It’s a lot of fun. And you know, when you really enjoy what you’re doing, you just, you aim for the stars. It’s exciting. And so if I’m proud about anything, it’s certainly the things we’re making the changes and we’re building those relationships. |
| 00:05:58 | ADRIAN BUTURA | Hi, I’m Adrian Butura from the Galati Romania, dual learning student’s program. I’m currently learning and training to be a professional electrician. I’m happy not only because I learn in school and in the plant, and now I have more confidence in myself, but also because I spend some quality time with my colleagues, dining together, saw a football match, and met with the coach. |
| 00:06:21 | MARTIN | Hi, I’m Martin from Whyalla, South Australia. I was involved in the DR pellet trial in 2022 with Newsha and Alyana. I have Newsha with me today to tell us about her experience during the trial. So, Newsha, what are you most proud of in your involvement in the DR pellet trial? |
| 00:06:41 | NEWSHA | Working with you in this project was an excellent starting point. As we work together in test work with the aim of producing direct reduction grade pellets, we had reached good results. |
| 00:06:53 | MARTIN | Like you, I’m proud to be part of the team that produced the first batch of direct reduction grade magnetite pellet. |
| 00:07:01 | SEAN AHERNE | Hi Sean Aherne here from Infrabuild, Laverton. What I’m most proud about with Infrabuild in 2022 is the proactive engagement in destigmatising mental health and the cultural change on my site and across the business. |
| 00:07:14 | GARY GROVE | Hello, my name is Gary Grove. I’m from Liberty Steel in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. What I’m mostly proud about in 2022 is just all of our new equipment we’ve put in, all the new updates, our new management has really tried to turn things around as far as morale. And it’s just a nice place to work. |
| 00:07:35 | RADIM | |
| 00:07:48 | Chloe Tilley | This year, m Radim there saying, this year I’m most proud of LIBERTY Ostrava for the fact that, despite the challenges we have all been facing, we have been able to provide temporary homes to refugees, mothers and children, from Ukraine. |
| 00:08:01 | Sanjeev, as the year draws to a close, how do you reflect on GFG’s values of change, family and sustainability? | |
| 00:08:08 | SANJEEV GUPTA | Well Chloe, that’s again probably my source of constant pride. We, above all things, we live our values constantly and they get more and more embedded in our individual and collective identity. So I mean, first value of course is change, which has never been more important or more needed than the last two years. We have adapted to everything, starting with COVID, then Greensill’s collapse, then the Ukraine war, the energy crisis, global recession, inflation, all the challenges which the world has thrown at us, we have tackled them. We’ve adapted quickly, decisively, and that is a value which will stand us tall, always. |
| 00:08:49 | Family, it’s something which of course is and always has been very important to me and I value very much how safety is important in each and every one of us and how we look after each other. | |
| 00:08:59 | I also value very much that we, you know, when it comes to people in distress or trouble, how we all rise to help them. And no better example than the Ukrainian refugee crisis. And how our people in the frontier countries have helped them. | |
| 00:09:15 | And of course our, you know, our very essence is our business model of sustainability. And as I was talking about earlier our electric arc furnaces conversion, leading the way really the first business in the world and certainly the first in Europe to convert from blast furnaces to EFs and developing our world scale magnetite reserves which will feed us forever in terms of our DRI needs, our green DRI needs building really quickly. | |
| 00:09:42 | And then looking ahead, that magnetite then converting to hydrogen based DRI, that’s what it’s really exciting to look forward to in this coming year. Yeah, I mean, living those values really is, is what it’s all about. So I’m very, very pleased with that. | |
| 00:09:57 | Chloe Tilley | Well looking ahead now, what are GFG colleagues most looking forward to in 2023? Here’s Dave Grant again. |
| 00:10:04 | DAVE GRANT | So what am I looking forward to? We’re looking at using tools like virtual reality and maybe even some augmented reality. We’ve built apprenticeship models and just different partnerships with other educational communities. We continue to write the book as we write the book, it’s cool. |
| 00:10:21 | WALTER SOSSA | Yeah, g’day there. My name’s Walter Sossa. I’m a safety specialist SIMEC mining here in Whyalla South Australia. I’ve just taken part in the GFG Global Steps Challenge, and I live with type 2 diabetes. Mind you, having gone through the steps challenge, my last check up with my doctor, he told me that I’ve got a really good chance of going into remission. That’s great news for me because in 2023, I’m looking forward to retiring. |
| 00:10:47 | ADRIAN BUTURA | Hi, I’m Adrian Butura from the Galati Romanian dual learning student’s program. For the next year, I would like to improve my skills to help my colleagues learn English and to travel more to discover new places and people. |
| 00:11:01 | GARY GROVE | Hello, my name is Gary Grove. I’m from Liberty Steel in Johnstown. I’m looking forward to just continued growth and going in the upward direction that we’re going now. |
| 00:11:10 | SEAN AHERNE | Sean Aherne here from Infrabuild Laverton. In 2023, I’m looking forward to the continued active collaboration of all our sites working together, just like one big family. |
| 00:11:21 | MARTIN | I’m Martin from Whyalla South Australia. I have Newsha here with me today, what are you most looking forward to in 2023. |
| 00:11:28 | NEWSHA | Our main goal, not only produces confidence there’s reduction grade pellets, suitable for market acceptance, but also validated use of pellet for multiple technologies. |
| 00:11:41 | MARTIN | I look forward to contributing to this exciting future in our mining business as we go through the Green Steel Transformation Gen. |
| 00:11:49 | RADIM |
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| 00:12:00 | Chloe Tilley | Radim there saying, I am looking forward to the construction of the new steel shop actually starting on our site next year, which will enable our company to become carbon neutral. And thank you so much to Radim, Dave, Adrean, Walter, Shaun, Gary, Martin and Newsha for sharing their thoughts on the podcast.
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| 00:12:20 | Well with our competition in a moment, but first a quick trip to a wintery Scotland. Last time we visited Jahama Highland Estates it was late spring, now we return, it is a snowy landscape. | |
| 00:12:35 | JONATHAN HART | Hi everybody, it’s Jonathan Hart from Jahama Highland Estates. I’m out today at the headwaters of the River Spey and this is on our Glen Shira property in the West Highlands of Scotland in an area referred to as Badenoch. And we’re part of the Alvance British aluminium smelter. And in front of me I’ve got this majestic view of the River Spey heading out down the Glen. And looking back over the year, for me we’ve done incredibly well. |
| 00:13:08 | We’ve put in a series of large, wooded structures in the river working with the Spey Catchments Initiative and the Spey Fisheries Board. It’s the largest river habitat restoration large, wooded tree project in the UK to date. We’ve restored getting on for 200 hectares of peatland and this really, really important upland catchment area. | |
| 00:13:31 | Our colleagues in the hydro team at Alvance, British aluminium have put in ‘fish pass’ improvements in the Spey dam, putting lighting in to help with the salmon and migratory fish movements. And through our land holding we have been delivering all of these projects with our partners and our stakeholders, and overall, it’s been a fantastic year. | |
| 00:13:54 | Looking forward into 2023, I see a lot of potential for Jahama Highland Estates. | |
| 00:14:01 | Chloe Tilley | Well, thank you to Jonathan Hart there. Well, now to our competition. For your chance to win a pair of Beats headphones, all you have to do is answer this question. Earlier we heard from Gary Grove, which part of the business is Gary from. Now, if you were listening closely, you will have heard Gary say which part of the business he is in. |
| 00:14:21 | All you have to do is e-mail your answer to, Spoken@gfgalliance.com. Our lucky winner will be announced on our next show. | |
| 00:14:30 | Well, that’s nearly it. Before we go, Sanjeev, how is the Gupta family planning on spending the festive season this year? | |
| 00:14:36 | SANJEEV GUPTA | This is a very special Christmas and year for my family. After many years, for the first time my family and Nicola’s family will be together in one place. So we are looking forward with great excitement to welcoming everybody. Many have already started arriving. |
| 00:14:51 | I’m particularly looking forward to spending time with my children and their cousins and they’re all excited as well. So in the next days and couple of weeks are going to be super satisfactory. Full of family fun. | |
| 00:15:05 | Chloe Tilley | And finally, any message for colleagues listening now? |
| 00:15:08 | SANJEEV GUPTA | Yes Chloe, I think it is always important to take these moments to reflect and enjoy. Taking a rest and recuperate, spend time with our families and reflect on what has been a tough year, but also reflect on our accomplishments with pride. Get ready for a busy 23, a year which will continue to have choppy waters but as in the year that has just passed, we will overcome all our challenges and we will respond to everything the market throws at us, with renewed vigour, revitalised strength and re-energised determination. |
| 00:15:45 | And remember wherever you are listening to this we are the leading group in the world on decarbonisation. Two decades ahead of the rest of the industry. Something which we must constantly be proud of. | |
| 00:15:58 | Chloe Tilley | Thank you, Sanjeev.
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| 00:15:59 | SANJEEV GUPTA | Thank you, Chloe.
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| 00:16:00 | Chloe Tilley | And do join us again soon for the very latest news from across GFG. Until then from me, Chloe Tilley and Sanjeev Gupta, seasons greetings to you and your loved ones. Thanks for listening and goodbye.
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| 00:16:13 | Spoken, back soon. | |
| 00:16:19 | End of tape. | |
