Steel Production

Port Kembla steelworks

Consideration of circularity principles in the manufacture and production of steel products is a key focus for BlueScope. Our manufacturing processes are optimised to minimise resource use and reduce waste.

Decarbonisation commitment and initiatives

BlueScope is committed to actively addressing climate change and investing in greenhouse gas emissions reduction. We are focused on developing a clear pathway to low emissions ‘primary’ steelmaking in Australia. Find out more about Climate Action at BlueScope and Project NeoSmelt, a groundbreaking project aims to test the technology for producing iron without the need for traditional blast furnaces.


Co-products

Among the useful co-products generated from the steelmaking process at our Port Kembla Steelworks is Blast Furnace Slag, which is used as a cement replacement and road base material. This product is a good substitute for materials that would otherwise need to be generated from mined or quarried virgin materials.

Australian road
Road base slag output product

Environmental Management

We are committed to improving our environmental performance and work on projects to reduce our environmental footprint. These projects focus on:

  • The efficient use of resources;
  • Pollution prevention strategies and the mitigation of process disturbances;
  • Reducing the environmental impact of our products; and
  • Good Water Stewardship

For more information on environmental management at Port Kembla Steelworks, visit Bluescope.com: BlueScope and the Illawarra environment.


Further reading

Explore these topics to learn more about the key components of steel circularity.

Acknowledgements

Published date
:

March 2026

Main image
:

Port Kembla Steelworks, NSW