Join HILT CRC for an update on emerging beneficiation technologies that could reshape Australia’s iron and steel supply chain. This webinar will spotlight two projects tackling the challenge of upgrading low-grade iron ores into high-quality feedstocks for direct reduced iron (DRI) production, which is crucial for green steelmaking.
Dr Alfonso Chinnici (The University of Adelaide) will present insights from RP1.008 Green pyromet/hydromet beneficiation pathways, which explores low- to mid-temperature pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical techniques for upgrading Pilbara and Whyalla iron ore fines.
Dr Lina Hockaday (Curtin University) will share the latest from RP1.011 Upgrading iron ore for direct reduced iron production using products from seawater reverse osmosis brines. This innovative project repurposes waste brines from desalination to drive low-waste, hydrometallurgical beneficiation – unlocking valuable byproducts while reducing emissions and enhancing resource efficiency.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from the project leads on how novel beneficiation approaches that will contribute to iron and steel decarbonisation are advancing toward commercial application.
Agenda
- Welcome and introduction – Adrien Guiraud, CSIRO and Research Leader, HILT CRC Program 1 (Process Technologies)
- Dr Alfonso Chinnici, University of Adelaide
- Dr Lina Hockaday, Curtin University
- Q&A.
NOTE: This webinar is exclusive to employees of HILT CRC Partner organisations.
SPEAKERS
Dr Alfonso Chinnici, The University of Adelaide
Dr Alfonso Chinnici is a distinguished Senior Lecturer in Sustainability, Net-Zero, and Energy Innovation at the University of Adelaide and an executive member of its Centre for Energy Technology. Employing cutting-edge research methodologies and fundamental engineering principles, he drives the advancement of ground-breaking clean energy technologies, prioritising the pivotal transition towards a net zero economy. At the forefront of his pursuits are the production and application of hydrogen and alternative energy carriers, alongside initiatives targeting the decarbonisation of carbon-intensive industrial processes, energy networks, and transportation systems.
Alfonso’s expertise includes sustainable reaction engineering and heat/mass transfer, combustion science and solar thermal energy, multi-phase flows, circular economy practices, and environmentally conscious metal/mineral processing techniques. He has published some 100 publications in leading international journals, 4 patented innovations, and secured over $10 million in R&D funding. Presently, he occupies a leadership research role within HILT CRC, collaborating closely with industry leaders to drive impactful net-zero initiatives.
Alfonso is a former investigator within Future Fuels CRC, and has also made significant contributions to international initiatives, notably as the manager of the Mission Innovation ARENA program on green fuels and the Global Net Zero Industries Mission, further establishing his global recognition and influence.
Beyond academia, Alfonso has lent his expertise as a high-profile consultant to esteemed organisations such as the International Energy Agency and the Government of South Australia, advising on critical aspects of hydrogen, ammonia, green metals, and critical minerals supply chains.
Dr Lina Hockaday, Curtin University
A Senior Research Fellow at Curtin University, Dr Lina Hockaday has nearly 20 years of pyrometallurgical research experience in the non-ferrous industry. She joined Mintek in 2002 after obtaining her B. Chem.Eng. (Minerals Processing) and MSc in Extractive Metallurgy at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. From 2002 to 2010 Lina worked in the commercial projects group on various projects including the recovery of precious metals in liquid iron and the smelting of ores to produce design specifications of an industrial ferrochrome DC arc furnace.
From 2015-2021, Lina was involved in research of new technologies for titanium metal production, chlorination of titanium dioxides in a fluidised bed, and the applications of concentrating solar energy in mineral processing. In 2023 Lina obtained her PhD in Mech Eng with the thesis entitled ‘Solar thermal treatment of manganese ores’. In June 2021, she moved to Perth, Australia, with her family, and since October 2022 she has been employed at Curtin University, executing HILT CRC projects involving the low-carbon upgrading of iron ores.
In 2025, Lina and her Curtin Colleague Professor Jacque Eksteen won the Cooperative Research Australia Award for Excellence in Innovation (Research Institution Leadership in Industry-Research Collaboration) for their work leading HILT CRC project RP1.011 HILT CRC project ‘Upgrading iron ore for direct reduced iron production using products from seawater reverse osmosis brines’.
Adrien Guiraud, Minerals Processing Lead, CSIRO, and Minerals Processing Lead, HILT CRC – Webinar chair
Adrien Guiraud is a process engineer with experience in minerals processing, metal production and decarbonisation of heavy industries. He specialises in translating research into practical outcomes for industry, by leading networks of multidisciplinary teams from world-class research and technology providers to deliver process optimisation and innovative technology development projects, with a focus on safety, productivity improvement, energy savings, and reducing industrial wastes and emissions across the value chain.
Adrien’s expertise covers a broad range of projects across multiple commodities, including: dry granulation and heat recovery from metallurgical slags; production and use of metallurgical-grade biochar in ironmaking; mass and energy balance modelling of green steel processing routes; microwave processing of copper ores (including ore sorting and pre-comminution); and novel energy efficiency aluminium reduction cell technologies (including sidewall heat recovery and high amperage/low energy designs).