Blast Furnace 6 Reline

The Port Kembla Steelworks is a critical piece of infrastructure in our nations manufacturing sector. To have Bluescope commit to the future operations of this site will not only bring job security to the area giving hundreds of young local people the opportunity to succeed in the steel industry, the flow on effect for the rest of the Illawarra and surrounding community's will bring stability in the years ahead.

I support the No.6 Blast Furnace Reline Project for a number of reasons.
Steel is a key sustainable building product that is critical to many aspects of the modern society and the development of future sustainability. Bluescope steel are a leading worldwide steel manufacture in many regards including environmental performance so it makes perfect sense to continue to manufacture steel in Australia where transport costs for raw materials and finished product can be kept to a minimum providing further improvement in the overall environmental impact of stell prouct used in Australia.
Recent global events also highlight the importance of maintaining sovereign manufacturing capabilities in Australia, with steel representing a key product where existing world class capability exists and should be maintained.
The proposed improvements to be made to environmental performance of Blast Furnace show a reel commitment to environmental sustainability in steel production and will assist in bridging the gap to future steel making technologies with lower or neutral carbon footprint.

It will create stability in the region

BlueScope Steel has supported this community and more widely the manufacturing sector of the Australian economy for many years. It provides many thousands of people employment around Australia and I see this project as an investment in the future of Steelmaking in Australia. BlueScope has demonstrated its commitment to Environmentally sustainable Steelmaking recently attaining Responsible Steel Certification. I absolutely support the reline of No.6 Blast Furnace and the vote of confidence this project puts on this region and manufacturing in Australia

An absolutely necessary project for Australia's steel supply into the future.

As a major employer of local people, I feel that this project is critical to the ongoing success of the local community. As an employee of BlueScope I also know that they are very conscientious of the need to create an industry that is sympathetic to the local community and with this mindset will do everything they can to minimise any impact on the environment

I think this project is a great project moving forward in the steel industry

i think the continued investment in Australia's capability of works such as this is key to our retention of employment / skills / capacity onshore - we cant send everything away to be made overseas and the local long term benefits as well as for the nation are measured away beyond juts the immediate effects of the project, please do support and encourage this and other similar projects as it lifts the bar across the board.

Triple i has provided BlueScope Steel (and previous names of the company) for over 35 years with engineering services and equipment with BlueScope comprising a significant (50-60%) part of our business activities. As an employer of 75 electrical & mechanical trades, engineers and support personnel, the BlueScope operations play a significant part in generating work and revenue for our organisation supporting this work force. Without BlueScope, our business could not support the number of people employed and may reduce by as much as 60% of people and revenue. While we endeavour to spread our market across other organisations both within our region and further afield, the options to maintain our numbers and revenues without BlueScope are limited.

The No6 Blast Furnace project for BlueScope lies at the heart of their ongoing operations, and without a clear progression of this capability, the steelmaking side of the business would not function, and while some downstream processes may remain, they would be reliant on imported feed materials from overseas, reducing our balance of payments, and sovereign capability. In addition, the employment numbers both directly and indirectly linked to the steelmaking activities are significant for our region, as are the flow on economic benefits to direct suppliers, such as ourselves, and the indirect value to reliant businesses in the wider community. BlueScope, and steelmaking is a major economic variable in our regions economy.

As an engineering supplier to BlueScope, we have worked with them in many technically advanced and developing areas over the past 35 years. BlueScope (and its former names) has been known within the wider steel industry as an innovator. Technologies like metal coated steel for roofing, developed onto metal coated and painted steel, have been developed through innovation and technical research and commercialisation to a world respected end product for housing & commercial buildings. Research & development of thin steel casting, continuous slab casting and steelmaking from iron sands are all technologies that BlueScope (and its former names) has invested in research and development to progress to commercialisation and world class manufacturing processes. The future plans for Hydrogen generation and direct fired steel making removing coal (coke) from the steelmaking processes, falls into this research and development undertaking.

The steel industry globally requires companies like BlueScope to transition to newer and cleaner technologies. This process will however take time, (and money) and in recent years is being driven by shifts by governments, markets and stakeholders positions, influences and requirements. The transition must come from those companies that have the capability, insight, financial stability and capacity to undertake the work to reach the point that technologies can be identified, developed tested, proven and commercialised. BlueScope is such a company. The reline of the No6 Blast Furnace is thus an essential step along that path and underpins the capability for BlueScope to operate and generate the revenue and stability to progress the path. Without it, BlueScope would not be able to maintain ongoing steelmaking capability and support the transition to future cleaner technologies that the steel industry, a globally essential product, must achieve.

For our part, Triple i looks forward to working with BlueScope, not only on our usual support engineering works across the sites, but on the No6 Blast Furnace project specifically as an approved project supplier, and on the new technology areas like the hydrogen pilot plant. As such we support their bid to have this project approved.

I wholly support the reline of Number 6 Blast Furnace at Port Kembla.
BlueScope is a major employer in this region, both onsite and in the supporting industries.
This project is needed to ensure that we have a Steel manufacturing business in our region in the years to come, providing employment to locals. It is the largest manufacturing facility in the country, and the steel made there also supports jobs in other regions like Western Port. It also uses materials from upstream businesses, like Coal mining, from our local region and beyond. These are well paying jobs for Australians, providing much needed tax revenue to both State and Federal governments.
It ensures that Australia has a steel manufacturer onshore. The need for this has been highlighted by the ongoing difficulties that Covid has exposed in worldwide supply chains and logistics. Our ongoing issues with some of our major trading partners such as China has highlighted the need for Australian Steel manufacturing to protect us in a geopolitical sense too. It is critical we maintain Steel manufacturing for our future.
Local jobs in other industries, like retail and health, depend on strong employment in our regions. BlueScope's Port Kembla Steelworks plays an important part in the prosperity of locals in our region. We have lost many jobs from this region over the past 3 decades, reducing incomes and opportunities for local people. This has seen a drain of people other areas like Sydney, and to Queensland searching for higher wages and better options for their careers.
Without the Blast Furnace Reline, BlueScope will not be able to continue to invest time and funding in "green Steel" technologies into the future in Australia. These technologies are still in the small scale only. Further research and development is needed. BlueScope has shown itself to be committed to these technologies into the future, but this cannot happen without money. The Blast Furnace Reline will make sure the funding is available, and also will help provide opportunities for our local university sector to be involved in these innovations.
We need facilities like BlueScope's Port Kembla Steelworks in our communities, now and in the future. The Blast Furnace Reline will help ensure we have Australian Steel manufacturing plant here for future generations.

Great for Wollongong and Australia. A no-brainer

I support the project, the steelworks is the life blood of the Illawarra region support jobs both directly and indirectly through associated industries.
Blast Furnace Reline project will not only cement the stability and growth for the region but also secure Steel making capabilities in Australia which will ensure our country is self sufficient .

Manufacturing in Australia is extremely important. Loss of steelmaking at this scale would be a loss for not only the Illawarra but for the nation.
This is a significant investment in jobs and technology for the state of NSW
The Port Kembla Steelworks has been in operation for close to 100years. Bluescope has demonstrated they have the ability to execute the construction and operation of a Blast Furnace in a responsible and sustainable manner.

I think this is a fantastic opportunity for the Illawarra Community, will help secure great employment and
will benefit our younger workers moving forward, secures the future of the Illawarra and also provides
extended employment to other sideline businesses supporting & supplying the Blast Furnace Reline.

I support the creation of jobs in the Shoalhaven region

This project will ensure/provide 10,000 jobs to the local community which is imperative in today's economic times

I am in support of this project for the benefits it could bring to the Illawarra during execution and production phases, and as it will facilitate the transition to Green Steel in the future.

I believe this project is essential for the future employment opportunities in the Illawarra & for the future of steel making in Australia.

Providing work to lots of locals and is an awesome opportunity for young UOW Graduates to gain experience

it will support the community and future growth of the area.