Decarbonising our steelmaking.
Lowering embodied carbon starts with how we make steel.
We're working to reduce the environmental impact of Australian steelmaking through renewable electricity, greater energy efficiency, alternative carbon sources and smarter use of materials.
Steel made from scrap. Built for the future.
InfraBuild manufactures steel using electric arc furnace technology at Rooty Hill in Sydney and Laverton in Melbourne.
Unlike traditional blast furnace steelmaking, which relies primarily on iron ore and metallurgical coal, our electric arc furnaces use scrap steel as the primary ferrous feedstock, with electricity providing the main energy input.
This gives us a practical pathway to reduce emissions as we increase renewable electricity use and improve the efficiency of our operations.
Three ways we're reducing our impact.
Here are the three ways we are reducing our impact.
Increasing renewable electricity
Renewable electricity is central to reducing emissions from our electric arc furnace operations.
Our power purchase agreements are contracted to provide renewable electricity equivalent to approximately 50% of Laverton Steel Mill's electricity requirements and 25% of the combined electricity consumption of Sydney Steel Mill and Newcastle Rod Mill.
Using energy more efficiently
Our warm charging process retains heat in steel billets between casting and rolling, reducing the natural gas needed to reheat them.
We're also progressing technology to further improve energy efficiency, including hot charging at Sydney Steel Mill.
Exploring alternatives to fossil carbon
We're developing biochar as an alternative to some of the fossil carbon used in electric arc furnace steelmaking.
Our collaboration with Australian technology partners is supporting the development of commercial-scale biochar production.
A clear target for SENSE 600®.
We're targeting an average Global Warming Potential below 0.4 tCO₂-eq per tonne of SENSE 600® reinforcing bar by 2030.
This target builds on the independently verified reductions already achieved through our steelmaking and renewable electricity initiatives.
With more than 100 years of history and a national network of sites, we play a critical role in building Australia’s infrastructure, housing and communities.
And we’re raising the standard for what comes next.
< 0.400
2030 target