New Zealand Steel has produced its first commercial steel from a new electric arc furnace (EAF) at its Glenbrook steelworks, marking a major step in the transition to lower-carbon steelmaking.
The new EAF, commissioned just over two years after construction began in June 2024, is expected to reduce the site’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 45pct and halve coal consumption.
The project replaces Glenbrook’s oxygen steelmaking furnace and two of its four coal-fired kilns. The EAF will use renewable electricity and locally sourced scrap steel, with long-term supply agreements with Sims and GMS diverting hundreds of thousands of tons of scrap from export for domestic recycling.
New Zealand Steel said the project involved more than one mln hours of construction work and was completed while the steelworks remained operational, allowing the company to maintain its usual annual production of around 650,000 tons and uninterrupted domestic supply.
The company’s sister company Pacific Steel will introduce the lower-carbon steel to the domestic market later this year under its PACIFIC brand. Pacific Steel also plans to offer PACIFIC DCRB, targeting lower-carbon reinforcing steel production.
New Zealand Steel, founded in 1965 and a wholly owned subsidiary of BlueScope Steel, is New Zealand’s sole flat-rolled steel producer, supplying more than 90pct of domestic requirements.