Metso has contributed the core process design and technology for Fortescue’s Christmas Creek green metal project in the Pilbara, Western Australia, where installation of Metso equipment commenced in September 2025.
The project will demonstrate the production of high-purity green metal using renewable energy for hydrogen-based reduction and smelting technologies for further downstream steel processing. The project incorporates Metso’s Circored fluidised bed direct reduction process and electric DRI smelting furnace to support low-emission steelmaking.
“Green metal presents a huge opportunity for Australia’s iron ore industry and Fortescue is determined to lead the way,” Fortescue chief executive officer of metals and operations Dino Otranto said.
“Through the Christmas Creek green metal project, we’re combining cutting-edge technologies, including Metso’s Circored process and DRI smelting furnace, with Fortescue’s proven track record in project delivery, to pioneer low-emission pathways for steelmaking.”
This initial project will have an annual output of over 1,500 metric tons, with studies underway to support development of a commercial-scale facility.
Breakthrough technologies
“This project, which implements the Circored and DRI smelting solutions, underscores our commitment to advancing sustainable and efficient industrial processes,” Metso vice president, ferrous and heat transfer, Attaul Ahmad said.
“The Circored process uses solely green hydrogen instead of fossil reductants. This flexible fine ore-based fluid bed process, which does not need pelletization, produces highly metalized direct reduced iron (DRI) that can directly be used as feed material in electric smelting furnaces for carbon-free steelmaking, using low-grade iron feed.”
Metso vice president, smelting, Jyrki Makkonen said the company was excited to see the Metso DRI smelting furnace taking shape at the Christmas Creek site.
“The low-emission electric smelting (ESF)-based steelmaking route, which substitutes traditional blast furnaces in the production of hot metal, is well-suited for Australia’s abundant, low-to-medium-grade Pilbara iron ores,” Makkonen said.
“The ambitious target for the Metso DRI Smelting furnace technology is to unlock utilisation of these massive iron ore reserves for green iron making, when such iron ores previously have been not suitable for the DRI steelmaking route due to higher gangue content.”
