Fortescue–TISCO green iron pilot: process design and scale-up notes for mine planners
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

First reported on Australian Mining Review – News
30 Second Briefing
Fortescue will partner with Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group (TISCO), part of China Baowu, to design, build and operate a pilot hydrogen-based plasma-enhanced ironmaking line capable of producing up to 5,000 tpa of molten iron, targeting direct use of Pilbara ores without sintering, pelletising or coking. The work sits alongside Fortescue’s $75 million Christmas Creek green metals project and Rio Tinto’s more than $35 million backing of Calix’s ZESTY electric-heated, hydrogen-reduction plant in Western Australia. IEEFA notes most Australian green iron projects remain at scoping or pre-feasibility, despite a new A$1 billion federal green iron fund.
Technical Brief
- Hydrogen-based plasma process is being tested specifically for compatibility with Fortescue’s Pilbara iron ore fines.
- Fortescue’s objective is to validate continuous, reliable operation of the plasma reactor under industrial conditions.
- TISCO contributes operational steelmaking expertise and existing plant infrastructure to host the pilot test line.
- Process intensification aims to condense traditional multi-step ironmaking into a more compact single-line configuration.
- Eliminating sintering and pelletising removes two major thermal units and associated dust and NOx emission points.
- Fortescue’s $75m Christmas Creek project will trial hydrogen-based reduction and smelting powered by renewable electricity.
- Rio Tinto’s >$35m backing of Calix’s ZESTY plant targets electric-heated, hydrogen reduction of lower-grade Pilbara ores.
- IEEFA notes most Australian green iron ventures remain at scoping or pre-feasibility, with only small pilots progressing.
Our Take
In our recent Pilbara coverage, Fortescue’s large BYD battery energy storage system and mine power decarbonisation work suggest that green iron at Christmas Creek is being paired with upstream low‑carbon electricity, which is critical if the 5,000 tpa pilot line is to demonstrate genuinely low embedded emissions rather than just process efficiency.
The A$75 million spend at Christmas Creek sits alongside Rio Tinto’s A$35 million backing of the ZESTY demonstration plant with Calix in Central Queensland, indicating that both major Australian iron ore exporters are now funding parallel, but distinct, green iron/low‑carbon ironmaking pathways rather than waiting for steelmakers alone to carry that R&D cost.
Our database shows multiple Fortescue items tagged under Projects and Sustainability in the Pilbara over the past year, and the new collaboration with TISCO/China Baowu signals that Fortescue is now extending its decarbonisation push from mine‑site infrastructure into downstream process IP that could influence offtake terms with Chinese steelmakers for Pilbara iron ore.
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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