Virtual Event
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HILT CRC project webinar: Iron ore beneficiation – technology to upgrade ores for green iron and steel production
May 1, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ACST
Virtual Event
Iron ore beneficiation – technology to upgrade ores for green iron and steel production
We invite you to our upcoming public webinar, presented by Dr Lina Hockaday from Curtin University and Dr Alfonso Chinnici from The University of Adelaide.
Technology and processes to beneficiate iron ores is important to overcome challenges in using low-grade Pilbara iron ores in low emissions direct reduced ironmaking (DRI) and avoiding more carbon intensive blast furnaces in steel production.
Our current project RP1.011 The upgrading of iron ore for DRI production using products from seawater RO brines, led by Dr Lina Hockaday and Professor Jacques Eksteen from Curtin University, aims to improve the commercial viability of using low-grade iron ores in low emissions DRI production. The project also aims to support the circular economy by not only using waste brines to upgrade the ores, but also by generating valuable by-products. This project recently secured an additional $2.4M funding from ARENA, MRIWA and Curtin University in ARENA’s recent Iron and Steel R&D Round, to enable the technology to be taken to pre-commercial readiness.
One of our Quickstart projects led by Dr Alfonso Chinnici, RP1.006: The viability of high flux thermal pre-treatment of low-grade iron ores, showed that heating of crushed iron ore prior to grinding can yield significant net benefits in beneficiation. Building on these encouraging results, Alfonso now leads the current 1-year project RP1.008 Green pyromet/hydromet beneficiation pathways which aims to establish combined pyromet-hydromet and pyromet-magnetic separation flowsheet options with the potential to upgrade Pilbara and Whyalla fine iron ores (e.g., goethite/hematite) to lower carbon intensity while achieving higher grade ores.
This webinar presents a unique opportunity to hear from Lina and Alfonso about these groundbreaking projects, aiming to de-risk the production of green steel at scale by addressing key challenges in the iron ore beneficiation process.
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’.
