M Resources–Hazer methane pyrolysis at Whyalla: integration notes for plant engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
M Resources has signed a binding MoU with Hazer Group to deploy Hazer’s methane pyrolysis technology, developed with KBR, at the Whyalla steelworks in South Australia if its planned acquisition of One Steel Manufacturing Pty Ltd proceeds. The process converts natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon rather than CO₂, offering a potential low-emission reductant and fuel source for iron and steelmaking. For plant engineers, this signals possible future integration of hydrogen-ready furnaces and on-site carbon handling infrastructure at Whyalla.
Technical Brief
- Solid carbon output will require bulk materials handling, storage and potential offtake logistics integrated into the Whyalla site.
- On-site hydrogen generation implies new high-pressure gas distribution, safety zoning and hazardous area classification within the steelworks.
- Retrofitting Whyalla will likely involve interfacing pyrolysis units with existing natural gas supply and furnace fuel trains.
- Carbon product characteristics (particle size, morphology, purity) will dictate whether it is used on-site or exported.
- Integration with iron and steelmaking lines will need thermodynamic matching of hydrogen supply profiles to furnace demand.
- Similar brownfield steelworks considering methane pyrolysis will face comparable challenges around gas routing and carbon by-product valorisation.
Our Take
Whyalla steelworks is one of the few Australian heavy industrial sites in our 613 sustainability-tagged pieces where decarbonisation is being explored through process chemistry (like methane pyrolysis) rather than solely through renewable power or scrap-based routes, signalling a test case for retrofit options at legacy plants.
Among the 294 Mining stories in our database, Australia features heavily in low-carbon iron and steel trials, so activity at Whyalla in South Australia is likely to be watched by other domestic operators considering hydrogen or gas-based pathways for existing blast furnace assets.
KBR’s presence at Whyalla aligns with its role in several other process-intensification and gas-processing projects in our coverage, suggesting that established hydrocarbons engineering houses are positioning to capture front-end design work for emerging ‘blue’ and ‘turquoise’ hydrogen concepts in the mining and steel value chain.
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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