原标题：NeoSmelt joint venture targets green steel breakthrough

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has committed $19.8 million to the NeoSmelt project, a collaborative initiative aiming to establish Australia’s largest electric smelting furnace (ESF) pilot plant in Kwinana, WA.

The joint venture brings together BlueScope, BHP, Rio Tinto, Woodside, and Mitsui Iron Ore Development to explore the direct reduced iron-electric smelting furnace (DRI-ESF) process for lower-emissions steelmaking.

The pilot aims to demonstrate that molten iron can be produced from Pilbara ore with lower carbon emissions, helping to decarbonise one of the world’s most emissions-intensive industries.

“Globally, the steelmaking industry makes up around eight per cent of greenhouse gas emissions,” said ARENA CEO Darren Miller. “The NeoSmelt project brings together some of the world’s largest players in a collaborative effort to reduce emissions in the sector. This represents what the energy transition is all about.”

BlueScope Chief Executive Australia, Tania Archibald, welcomed the support from ARENA.

“This is a significant step forward in developing technology for lower-carbon steelmaking using Pilbara ore,” she said. “With this backing, we now have the opportunity to develop world-leading technology that could transform Australia’s iron export industry.”

ARENA’s funding will support a front-end engineering design (FEED) study ahead of a final investment decision. The initiative falls under ARENA’s Industrial Transformation Stream, with Round 2 applications open until 15 July 2025.

【以下为机器翻译结果，仅供参考阅读】

澳大利亚可再生能源署（ARENA）已承诺向NeoSmelt项目提供1980万美元，该项目是一项合作倡议，旨在在西澳奎那建立澳大利亚最大的电熔炼炉（ESF）试点工厂。

该合资企业汇集了BlueScope、必和必拓、里约热内卢Tinto、Woodside和Mitsui Iron Ore Development，共同探索用于低排放炼钢的直接还原铁电熔炼炉（DRI-ESF）工艺。

该试点项目旨在证明，从皮尔巴拉矿石中生产铁水可以降低碳排放，从而帮助世界上排放最密集的行业之一脱碳。

ARENA首席执行官达伦·米勒表示：“在全球范围内，炼钢行业占温室气体排放量的8%左右。”“新冶炼厂项目汇集了世界上一些最大的参与者，共同努力减少该行业的排放。这代表了能源转型的全部意义。”

澳大利亚BlueScope首席执行官Tania Archibald对ARENA的支持表示欢迎。

她说：“这是在利用皮尔巴拉矿石开发低碳炼钢技术方面迈出的重要一步。”“有了这种支持，我们现在有机会开发世界领先的技术，这可能会改变澳大利亚的钢铁出口行业。”

ARENA的资金将支持在最终投资决策之前进行前端工程设计（FEED）研究。该计划属于ARENA的工业转型流，第二轮申请开放至2025年7月15日。