December 19, 2013 BlueScope Signs Agreement with Austpac

BlueScope Steel (AIS) Pty Ltd (BlueScope) has agreed with Austpac to undertake a bulk trial at the Newcastle Iron Recovery Plant (NIRP) to recover iron from the fine iron oxide dusts produced by steel mills. BlueScope also has the right to negotiate licences to use the Company's recycling technologies at their steel mills. This agreement follows extensive laboratory and pilot scale testwork previously undertaken at Newcastle on BlueScope's dusts, which produced samples of high quality iron.
BlueScope will provide a 1,000 tonne sample of dusts collected from the off-gases produced from the steel-making processes, together with sufficient spent pickle liquor, which Austpac will process at the NIRP to produce saleable iron briquettes, hydrochloric acid and other by- products. Austpac will initially use mill scale to commission the NIRP, and BlueScope's dusts will be processed during the latter part of commissioning. BlueScope has agreed to purchase the iron briquettes at appropriate commercial market rates, and plans to trial them at their Port Kembla steel-making facility.
BlueScope operates steel processing facilities in New South Wales, Victoria and New Zealand. When the trial has been completed, BlueScope has the right to negotiate with Austpac for licences to use the technology at one or more of their plants.

For further information please contact: Mike Turbott

Managing Director