South32 receives $4.4 million to study steam electrification at Worsley alumina refinery

South32 has secured $4.4 million in government funding to explore cutting-edge electrification technologies that could dramatically reduce emissions at its Worsley Alumina Refinery in Western Australia.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced the funding on Monday to support a pre-feasibility study examining four investment options for partial steam electrification at the facility, targeting the alumina industry's biggest emissions challenge.

Steam production currently accounts for approximately 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in alumina refining, with the process traditionally powered by fossil fuels including coal and natural gas. The alumina refining industry is Australia's largest user of industrial process heat, making decarbonisation efforts critical for national emissions targets.

“Meeting Australia's emissions reduction targets will require businesses in the most energy intensive industries to incorporate renewables in their operations,” said ARENA CEO Darren Miller. “Funding from ARENA will help South32 investigate innovative electrification options for steam generation that enable the use of renewable energy.”

The study will examine technologies including electric boilers, which generate steam directly using electrodes, and mechanical vapour recompression systems that capture low-pressure waste vapour from refining processes for recompression into pressurised steam for reuse.

South32 Chief Operating Officer Vanessa Torres said the project aligns with the company's ambitious climate targets. “South32 has a long-term goal to achieve net zero GHG emissions across all scopes by 2050, and a target to halve our operational GHG emissions by 2035 from our FY21 baseline,” she said.

The funding comes through ARENA's $400 million Industrial Transformation Stream program, which aims to support emission reductions across energy-intensive industries. The agency has been investing in aluminium value chain decarbonisation since 2021, including projects with Alcoa and Rio Tinto.

ARENA noted that learnings from the South32 study will benefit other alumina refining players by advancing industry understanding of steam electrification technologies. Applications for the program's second round remain open until mid-June 2025, with $70 million in additional funding available.

Picture: credit South32/Facebook