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43-617: The Whyalla Steelworks is a fully integrated steelworks and the only manufacturer of rail in Australia. Iron ore is mined in the Middleback Range to feed the steelworks, resulting in the distribution of finished steel products of over 90 different grades. It occupies a 1,000 ha site on the shore of False Bay , Spencer Gulf and is the largest employer in Whyalla , South Australia . Approximately 1.2 million tonnes of raw steel

86-421: A lance over the molten pig iron inside the converter. Exothermic heat is generated by the oxidation reactions during blowing. The basic oxygen steel-making process is as follows: Earlier converters, with a false bottom that can be detached and repaired, are still in use. Modern converters have a fixed bottom with plugs for argon purging. The energy optimization furnace (EOF) is a BOF variant associated with

129-471: A potential cause of elevated lung cancer incidence among residents of Whyalla. Between 1999 and 2004, 95 cases of lung cancer were recorded - 32 more than the Government of South Australia 's Department of Health anticipated based on studies of other regions in the state. Concerns regarding emissions and their health impacts came to a head between 2005 and 2007, largely due to the efforts of Ted Kittel and

172-621: A professor at the Technische Hochschule in Charlottenburg (now Technische Universität Berlin ), returned to Switzerland and accepted a seat on the board of Roll AG , the country's largest steel mill. In 1947 he purchased the first small 2.5-ton experimental converter from the US, and on April 3, 1948 the new converter produced its first steel. The new process could conveniently process large amounts of scrap metal with only

215-707: A small proportion of primary metal necessary. In the summer of 1948, Roll AG and two Austrian state-owned companies, VÖEST and ÖAMG, agreed to commercialize the Durrer process. By June 1949, VÖEST developed an adaptation of Durrer's process, known as the LD (Linz-Donawitz) process. In December 1949, VÖEST and ÖAMG committed to building their first 30-ton oxygen converters. They were put into operation in November 1952 (VÖEST in Linz) and May 1953 (ÖAMG, Donawitz) and temporarily became

258-405: Is a method of primary steelmaking in which carbon-rich molten pig iron is made into steel . Blowing oxygen through molten pig iron lowers the carbon content of the alloy and changes it into low-carbon steel . The process is known as basic because fluxes of calcium oxide or dolomite , which are chemical bases , are added to promote the removal of impurities and protect the lining of

301-784: Is part of the Cleve Subdomain of the Gawler Craton . The iron ore deposits are primarily of Early Proterozoic metasediments of the Hutchison Group. All of the mines in the Middleback Range are operated as open pit mines, producing magnetite and hematite ores. Magnetite is processed at Whyalla, and hematite is exported. The mines are serviced by the BHP Whyalla Tramway , a 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) railway which convey

344-473: Is produced in the steelworks each year, with about 65% of that transferred by rail to Arrium 's Market Mills as billets for further processing. The balance of the steel is then converted to finished products at the Whyalla Rolling Mill. These products service the construction and rail transport industries. Dust emissions from the steelworks became a controversial topic in 2005 after legislation

387-462: The BOS for manufacture into steel. Coke is produced on site from coal supplied to the plant from Newcastle or Port Kembla and ships are loaded with iron ore for shipment from Whyalla's port. Finished steel products are distributed by sea, road and rail. In 2020, the slip at the former shipyard was recommissioned as a facility to decommission, scrap and recycle (DSR) large ships. It was reported to be

430-511: The Whyalla Red Dust Action Group and sustainability consultants to address the community's issues and work towards a feasible solution. OneSteel believes that Project Magnet was successful in addressing the red dust issue, mainly through the company's introduction of a wet crushing process in 2007. Since then, OneSteel has attempted to further reduce its dust emissions and works with council and community groups to improve

473-680: The Whyalla shipyards. In 1947, Australia's largest domestically built vessel, the bulk carrier Iron Yampi , was launched. It was built for BHP Shipping to transport iron ore from Yampi Sound in Western Australia. In 1965, the honor was claimed again, when the Darling River was launched. With the launch of the tanker Arthur Phillip in 1974, the Whyalla shipyard passed a major milestone, having produced over one million tonnes of merchant vessels in total. The shipyard also produced

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516-558: The community-lead Whyalla Red Dust Action Group. Residents of East Whyalla and students of the Whyalla Town Primary School are believed to be worst impacted by the dust emissions due to their proximity to the source. The public controversy was predicated by a legal case heard in the Environment, Resources and Development Court in 2005, EPA v. OneSteel. The case evaporated after OneSteel successfully renegotiated

559-545: The community.” [REDACTED] Media related to Whyalla steelworks at Wikimedia Commons Middleback Range The Middleback Range extends from Iron Knob at the northern end near the Eyre Highway to the Lincoln Highway , halfway between Whyalla and Cowell at its southern extent. The Ironstone Hill Conservation Park is immediately west of the southern part of the ranges. The Middleback Range

602-621: The company's emissions was now left in the hands of the Minister for Mineral Resources. At the time, Premier Mike Rann was critical of the EPA, describing it as a 'toothless tiger... because it didn't have the backing of government, it didn't have independence'. As public and political pressure persisted, the Government eventually modified the licensing conditions for the facility's allowable airborne pollution emissions. This included reducing

645-671: The converter. The process was invented in 1948 by Swiss engineer Robert Durrer and commercialized in 1952–1953 by the Austrian steelmaking company VOEST and ÖAMG . The LD converter, named after the Austrian towns Linz and Donawitz (a district of Leoben ) is a refined version of the Bessemer converter where blowing of air is replaced with blowing oxygen. It reduced capital cost of the plants and smelting time, and increased labor productivity. Between 1920 and 2000, labor requirements in

688-608: The first blast furnace 'blown in'. A shipyard was also constructed, designed to aid the British Commonwealth 's efforts in World War II . After the war, the steelworks and shipyards continued to produce a range of products including rail track and maritime vessels for commercial use. In the 1960s, a BOS rolling mills and coke ovens were constructed, enabling the Whyalla plant to become a fully integrated steelworks. Various records were set and milestones met by

731-482: The government for initially relaxing the EPA licensing conditions on dust emissions by modifying the company's Indenture Act after significant breaches were recorded in 2005. The Australian Democrats ' leader Sandra Kanck was critical of the removal of the Minister for the Environment from the role of overseeing emissions licensing for OneSteel. The party was concerned that the sole ministerial responsibility for

774-438: The industry decreased by a factor of 1,000, from more than 3 man-hours per metric ton to just 0.003. By 2000 the basic oxygen furnace accounted for 60% of global steel output. Modern furnaces will take a charge of iron of up to 400 tons and convert it into steel in less than 40 minutes, compared to 10–12 hours in an open hearth furnace . The basic oxygen process developed outside of the traditional "big steel" environment. It

817-459: The leading edge of the world's steelmaking, causing a surge in steel-related research. Thirty-four thousand businesspeople and engineers visited the VÖEST converter by 1963. The LD process reduced processing time and capital costs per ton of steel, contributing to the competitive advantage of Austrian steel. VÖEST eventually acquired the rights to market the new technology. Errors by the VÖEST and

860-698: The molten metal and removing phosphorus impurities. In the Soviet Union, some experimental production of steel using the process was done in 1934, but industrial use was hampered by lack of efficient technology to produce liquid oxygen. In 1939, the Russian physicist Pyotr Kapitsa perfected the design of the centrifugal turboexpander . The process was put to use in 1942–1944. Most turboexpanders in industrial use since then have been based on Kapitsa's design and centrifugal turboexpanders have taken over almost 100% of industrial gas liquefaction, and in particular

903-575: The number of days per year that excessive dust was permitted. In 2006, 29 days of 'excessive dust' were recorded. The changed conditions would limit breaches to 10 days in 2008, and ultimately 5 days in 2011. Additional breaches could incur a fine of up to $ 120,000. The company was required to report monthly to the Government of South Australia with emissions reports and details of any remedial actions taken. Despite describing their 'journey' with Whyalla's dust-affected community as 'reactive', 'very closed door', and 'adversarial', OneSteel eventually worked with

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946-560: The only facility in Australia capable of handling ships over 200 m (660 ft). The first ship through the facility was the former HMAS  Success . The initial deconstruction work was done by McMahon Services at Port Pirie before the hull was moved across Spencer Gulf to Whyalla. As of 2021, the interests of the works' owners, GFG Alliance, are represented to the South Australian parliament by lobbying firm, Bespoke Approach. The Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP)

989-412: The ore to Whyalla 's port and steelworks. As of 2016 , the operating mines of the Middleback Range are: Iron Duchess, Iron Knight, Iron Duke, Iron Magnet, Iron Baron and Iron Chieftain. Iron ore mines in the Middleback Range include: Basic oxygen steelmaking Basic oxygen steelmaking ( BOS , BOP , BOF , or OSM ), also known as Linz-Donawitz steelmaking or the oxygen converter process ,

1032-508: The ore was shipped from Whyalla (then known as Hummock Hill) to Port Pirie for use as a flux in smelters. It was later supplied to steel-making facilities at Port Kembla, New South Wales . The first shipment of iron ore by sea for Port Pirie departed Whyalla in 1903. The first mines to be developed were Iron Knob and Iron Monarch, with later developments including Iron Baron , Iron Knight, Iron Princess, Iron Chieftain and Iron Duke. The mines were developed by BHP , which went on to develop

1075-593: The plan. Once it is up and running, it will supply power to the steelworks, which will then produce green steel . The Whyalla Steelworks draws the majority of its required water from the Murray River , via the Morgan-Whyalla pipeline. In December 2011, a reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant was commissioned. Capable of producing 1.5 GL of water per year, the plant allows Arrium to reduce Murray River water consumption by up to 25%. The brine from

1118-407: The plant is discharged into settling ponds which flow into the waters of False Bay , Spencer Gulf . A rail network exists within the steelworks. Built as a narrow gauge network, it was converted to standard gauge in the 1960s. In 1901, a line opened from Whyalla to Iron Knob. In 1930, a branch opened from Middleton Junction to Iron Baron. The latter closed in 1947 being reopened in 1958. In 1990, it

1161-547: The plant. Two 4.2 MW gas turbines operate exclusively on purchased natural gas . Despite this on-site capacity, the plant relies on purchased electricity for a substantial portion of its needs, and only exports power to the grid occasionally. Plans for the associated 280 MW Cultana Solar Farm were abandoned in 2021. Santos has supplied gas to the steelworks for several years, and in February 2025 signed an MoU with GFG Alliance to start discussions to reduce emissions from

1204-486: The production of liquid oxygen for steelmaking. Big American steelmakers were late adopters of the new technology. The first oxygen converters in the US were launched at the end of 1954 by McLouth Steel in Trenton, Michigan , which accounted for less than 1% of the national steel market. U.S. Steel and Bethlehem Steel introduced the oxygen process in 1964. By 1970, half of the world's and 80% of Japan's steel output

1247-490: The project's economic merits. The project represented a $ 395 million investment in the development of Whyalla's economy with coincidental environmental benefits. The plan was to be implemented by 2008. The company also engages in the assessment and remediation of buildings in the town of Whyalla, with results and other emissions statistics published in The Whyalla News . Greens MLC Mark Parnell openly criticised

1290-522: The steelworks and shipyards. The steelworks first established a plant for the production of pig-iron for sale or use at other BHP plants. The announcement was made in 1937 and South Australian legislation was prepared to facilitate the development. Water security for the project was also guaranteed by the development of the Morgan-Whyalla pipeline . The Whyalla Steelworks was opened in May 1941 with

1333-475: The steelworks employed 1,600 people, down from a peak of around 6,000. The steelworks is owned by Liberty House Group , who purchased Arrium in September 2017. Arrium was previously known as OneSteel, and was spun off from BHP in 2000. The iron-making department incorporates the blast furnace, coke ovens and the power and services departments of the Whyalla steelworks. Molten iron is supplied from here to

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1376-505: The steelworks. The Whyalla Hydrogen Facility is a proposed 250MWe hydrogen electrolyser, a 200MW combined cycle gas turbine generator, and 3600-tonne hydrogen storage facility, which will supply electricity to the steelworks using green hydrogen . A South Australian Government company called Hydrogen Power South Australia was established to own and operate the plant, which is expected to be completed in 2025 and begin operations in 2026. ATCO Australia , BOC , and Epic Energy will deliver

1419-525: The terms of their governing Indenture Act, with the support of the Government of South Australia. OneSteel responded by incorporating new processes into the design of Project Magnet . By proposing to transport ore from the Iron Duke mine in a slurry pipeline, the company hoped to reduce opportunities for the emission of excessive red dust. The project was supported by acting Premier Kevin Foley who espoused

1462-452: The visual appearance of dust-impacted areas in Whyalla. The WRDAG was disbanded in 2010 after agreement that the red dust issue had been addressed. Former chair of the WRDAG, Ted Kittel, stated “The problem is resolved with a fair and reasonable outcome. I believe that OneSteel has now set a benchmark in the way it addresses environmental issues and in the excellent way it now communicates with

1505-479: The world's first gas turbine-electric powered ship, the Seaway Prince in 1975. BHP 's shipyards continued to operate until 1978. Many of the vessels were produced for the use of BHP Shipping . The eventual closure of the shipyards came as a major blow to the town of Whyalla and plunged it into an economic recession , with 1,800 workers made redundant. In 1982, the steelworks employed 5,000 people. In 2011,

1548-520: The ÖAMG management in licensing their technology made control over its adoption in Japan impossible. By the end of the 1950s, the Austrians lost their competitive edge. In the original LD process, oxygen was blown over the top of the molten iron through the water-cooled nozzle of a vertical lance. In the 1960s, steelmakers introduced bottom-blown converters and developed inert gas blowing for stirring

1591-763: Was developed and refined by a single man, Swiss engineer Robert Durrer , and commercialized by two small steel companies in allied-occupied Austria , which had not yet recovered from the destruction of World War II . In 1856, Henry Bessemer had patented a steelmaking process involving oxygen blowing for decarbonizing molten iron (UK Patent No. 2207). For nearly 100 years commercial quantities of oxygen were not available or were too expensive, and steelmaking used air blowing. During WWII German (Karl Valerian Schwarz), Belgian ( John Miles ) and Swiss ( Durrer and Heinrich Heilbrugge) engineers proposed their versions of oxygen-blown steelmaking, but only Durrer and Heilbrugge brought it to mass-scale production. In 1943, Durrer, formerly

1634-575: Was extended 40 kilometres from Iron Baron to Iron Duke. After iron ore production ceased at Iron Baron in 1991 and Iron Duke in 1998, the line from Middleton Junction closed. With the reopening of the Iron Baron Mine in mid-2012, the line reopened to Iron Baron. In October 1972, the 74 kilometre Whyalla railway line opened primarily to serve the Whyalla Steelworks. Dust emissions from the Whyalla steelworks have been considered as

1677-930: Was extended to Whyalla by the late 1950s. While the town's supply was progressively transferred to ETSA during the 1960s, BHP continued to supply much of its own needs and those of some other customers that were not economic to transfer to the ETSA network. As BHP's power needs grew it began to use grid power for a greater portion of its own needs. However, as of 2016 the steelworks continues to generate its own electricity to lower its energy costs and increase security of supply. In 2005, Whyalla Steelworks had 66.5 MW of dedicated electricity generating capacity on-site. 57.5 MW of this capacity consisted of three turbo alternators driven by steam raised in various boilers, fired primarily by waste blast furnace and coke oven gases. The boilers can also be fired with supplementary fuel oil and natural gas. The boilers also provide steam for process use around

1720-497: Was produced in oxygen converters. In the last quarter of the 20th century, use of basic oxygen converters for steel production was gradually, partially replaced by the electric arc furnace using scrap steel and iron. In Japan the share of LD process decreased from 80% in 1970 to 70% in 2000; worldwide share of the basic oxygen process stabilized at 60%. Basic oxygen steelmaking is a primary steelmaking process for converting molten pig iron into steel by blowing oxygen through

1763-435: Was responsible for bringing electricity to the townships of Iron Knob, Whyalla, their associated mines and ultimately the Whyalla steelworks. This was achieved by the construction of three powerhouses and network infrastructure to reticulate the power. BHP commenced power supply to Whyalla in 1908 and Iron Knob in 1922. A second powerhouse was built in the 1920s to replace the first and was decommissioned in late 1941 (though it

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1806-600: Was rewritten to nullify a legal battle between OneSteel and the South Australian Environmental Protection Agency. The steelworks is open to the public for guided tours which can be booked at the Whyalla Visitors Centre. The Whyalla Steelworks receives iron ore mined at various sites along the Middleback Range . Iron ore mining in this region dates back to at least 1900. Prior to the steelworks' construction,

1849-493: Was still standing in the 1990s). The third powerhouse was built in 1941 as part of the No.1 Blast furnace. It features two turbo alternators and two turbo blowers and remains in operation. It provides electricity for use around the plant and air to the blast furnace. Compressed air is also utilised around the plant by a number of other departments. The South Australian grid, run by the then Electricity Trust of South Australia (ETSA),

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