DryFlow Magnetics ARENA-backed dry plant: design and power notes for mine engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
DryFlow Magnetics has secured up to A$48.4 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund to build a first-of-a-kind dry magnetite upgrading demonstration plant in South Australia. The 1.5 Mt/y facility will convert magnetite iron ore into high‑purity iron using a dry beneficiation flowsheet, eliminating process water and associated tailings dams. For process and project engineers, the key questions will centre on ore feed specification, power demand versus wet circuits, and integration with existing crushing and screening infrastructure.
Technical Brief
- ARENA’s Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund grant is capped at A$48.4 million for the demo.
- Dry upgrading route removes conventional thickening/clarification, pumps and pipelines from the flowsheet.
- Elimination of tailings dams shifts geotechnical focus to dry rejects stockpiles and dust control.
- Power demand will be dominated by comminution and magnetic separation rather than slurry pumping.
- High-purity iron product is likely targeted at DRI/EAF supply chains needing low-gangue feed.
- Similar dry flowsheets could de-risk magnetite projects in arid regions with constrained water licences.
Our Take
ARENA’s backing of both DryFlow Magnetics and Element Zero’s Green Iron Electroreduction Demonstration suggests the agency is deliberately building a portfolio of complementary low‑carbon iron technologies in Australia, spanning ore upgrading through to alternative ironmaking.
A 1.5 Mt/y dry magnetite upgrading plant in South Australia positions the state as a test bed for high‑purity iron feedstock for green steel, which could materially change the cost and water‑use profile of future magnetite developments in the region.
Within our 73 keyword‑matched iron ore pieces, relatively few focus on dry beneficiation; this funding signals that dry processing routes for magnetite are now moving from niche R&D into pre‑commercial demonstration scale in Australia.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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