Curtin University researchers have found a new way to upgrade iron ore for green steel production – all while using desalination waste.
Curtin University researchers have received national recognition after developing a new process to turn low-grade iron ore into green steel feedstock.
Led by Professor Jacques Eksteen and Dr Lina Hockaday, the Perth-based research team found a way to use waste from desalination processes to support green steel production.
Following the breakthrough, the research team was nominated for an award at Collaborate Innovate 2025 – an Australian research conference that took place in Melbourne this week.
The WA researchers walked away with the Cooperative Research Australia Award on Tuesday night, which recognises excellence in innovation.
Professor Eksteen and Dr Hockaday supported a team from the Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre (HILT CRC) in their green steel endeavours, attracting more than $5.4 million in funding to support the project.
The team has partnered with a number of big names in the iron ore space, including Fortescue, Roy Hill, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Proxa Australia, Agilitus, the University of Adelaide and the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA).
In a nutshell, the green steel project centres on a hydrometallurgical process that uses brine, which is left over after desalinating seawater, to remove impurities like silica and alumina from lower-grade iron ores.
After that, the upgraded ores qualify for direct reduced iron production, which is a key step in low-emission steelmaking.
“This technology addresses a critical challenge for Australia’s iron ore industry in the global transition to green steelmaking,” Dr Hockaday said.
“By upgrading our abundant lower-grade ores … we’re helping secure Australia’s position in future low-emission steel supply chains.”
Dr Hockaday receives her award. Photo: HILT CRC
Preliminary results show that four out of five ore samples tested by the Curtin research team have been upgraded from 55–60 per cent iron content to more than 65 per cent.
Researchers are looking to get that number up to 67 per cent with further testing.
