Miner moves to use green hydrogen, support steel production

Resources and chemicals group Australian Vanadium has moved to incorporate green hydrogen throughout its proposed vanadium mining and value-added processing operations in Western Australia.

The company, which is developing a vanadium, iron and titanium resource at Gabanintha south of Meekatharra, where it will undertake crushing, milling and benefaction of the magnetite ores, is also seeking partnerships for green steel production using hydrogen.

In October the company secured land for a processing facility close to the port of Geraldton which will refine the ore into products for use in steel, specialty alloys and battery markets.

AVL announced today it had submitted a response to the WA government’s request for expressions of interest in its renewable energy strategy, which involves developing green hydrogen and battery metals industries.

Managing director Vincent Algar said the company was seeking partnerships with companies interested in using green hydrogen for steel production, using the iron-titanium product it will produce.

Algar said: “The use of green hydrogen could allow AVL to reduce its carbon footprint and leverage both the economical and environmental benefits of this growing market.

“The green steel opportunity is one that WA should particularly embrace, with the potential for many jobs to be created and a globally competitive steel industry.”

AVL is also proposing to:

• Introduce green hydrogen into the gas feed for the processing plant
• Utilise ammonia produced from green hydrogen in the precipitation processing step
• Power minesite and haulage vehicles with hydrogen
• And integrate hydrogen electrolysers in its plant design.

Picture: Australian Vanadium/pilot plant at Balcatta, Perth

Subscribe to our free @AuManufacturing newsletter here.