Owners Blasted as ‘Old Tech’ Steel Furnace Restarts in Whyalla
Whyalla’s steelworkers demand investment in green technology after a furnace restart
Whyalla, Australia, Steel, GFG Alliance, Green Technology
Whyalla: The steelworkers in Whyalla are really hoping for some serious investment in green iron and steel production. They’re tired of relying on outdated tech, especially after the recent restart of the old furnace.
GFG Alliance’s Whyalla Steelworks just announced it’s back in action after a four-month shutdown. They blamed it on some operational hiccups and needed repairs. But honestly, the workers are feeling the pressure.
Tom Koutsantonis, the state’s energy and mining minister, is more worried about the local creditors than the government’s finances. He’s been vocal about how hard the team has worked to get the furnace going again.
He mentioned that the workers have been carrying the city on their backs for months. But there are still concerns about overdue payments to the state and whether local contractors will see the money they’re owed.
Two major rail operators even stopped their services to the steelworks last year due to unpaid debts. Koutsantonis hopes this serves as a wake-up call for the furnace operators to run it continuously, not just on and off.
On a brighter note, the mayor of Whyalla expressed gratitude to the dedicated steelworkers for their hard work in achieving this milestone. It’s a big deal for the community!
Iron ore from the Middleback Ranges is crucial for the steelworks, which was bought by Sanjeev Gupta back in 2017. Koutsantonis emphasized that Whyalla is vital for South Australia’s economy.
However, he pointed out that the blast furnace technology is outdated. It’s time to upgrade to greener methods, like direct reduction of iron and electric arc furnaces. That’s what the world needs right now.
Gupta described rescuing the plant as a huge challenge, but he’s optimistic about the progress. Still, there’s a long road ahead before everything is stable.
GFG’s chief manufacturing officer mentioned that the furnace is only running at half capacity and there are still issues to tackle. But he’s confident they’ll get it back to full strength with some time and patience.