Rio Tinto and China Baowu Complete Low Carbon Steelmaking Trials with Pilbara Blend Ore

Rio Tinto and China Baowu have completed industrial-scale trials using hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) technology at the Baoshan Zhanjiang steel facility in China. The trials demonstrated that pellets containing about one-third Pilbara Blend iron ore, a mid-grade material with roughly 62 percent iron content, can successfully feed a hydrogen shaft furnace at commercial scale. This challenges the long-held assumption that DRI pathways require exclusively high-grade feedstock above 67 percent iron. The results are significant for Australia's iron ore industry, which produces hundreds of millions of tonnes of mid-grade ore annually from the Pilbara region. If confirmed and extended, the findings suggest that existing mid-grade export volumes could remain relevant as global steelmakers transition to lower-carbon production methods. The partnership tested two downstream conversion routes, a basic oxygen furnace and an electric smelting furnace, giving a more complete picture of commercial viability across different energy contexts.