New Zealand Steel announces first steel from new EAF
New Zealand Steel has announced the commencement of commercial steel production using an electric arc furnace (EAF) at its Glenbrook steelworks, near Auckland.
Renewably generated electricity and local scrap steel supply are contributing to NZ Steel making what it says is some of the world’s lowest-carbon steel using the new electric arc furnace, just over 2 years after breaking ground.
New Zealand Steel, the country’s sole producer of flat rolled steel products for the infrastructure, construction, manufacturing and agriculture industries, and a wholly owned subsidiary of BlueScope Steel, said the new electric arc furnace cuts the steelworks’ annual greenhouse gas emissions by over 45%.
Robin Davies, Chief Executive Australia and New Zealand, says this is a proud moment that reflects a lot of thought, technology and capability since the project broke ground in June 2024 on this landmark investment.
“The project has exceeded a million hours of construction effort to get us to this point today,” he said. “It marks the beginning of new opportunity as we leverage the full potential of EAF steel production in New Zealand, which includes supporting growth in Auckland and the wider economy through the availability of quality lower-carbon steel product for the built environment.
“We’ve produced the first heat just over two years after breaking ground and been able to undertake this significant business transition within a fully operational steelworks, continuing to produce the usual 650,000 tonnes of steel to ensure uninterrupted supply to the domestic sectors that rely on it.”
The transition has involved replacing Glenbrook’s oxygen steelmaking furnace and two of the four coal-fuelled kilns, halving coal use at the site.
“Projects of this scale rely on partnerships and this one is a world-class example of a successful public–private investment partnership with the New Zealand government co-investing up to $140 million,” Davies added.
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