News

Whyalla Steelworks

The regional city of Whyalla has been through a lot this year.

Recently steel production was resumed after a four-month shutdown due to excessive cooling of the blast furnace

ABC News have recently reported that “several contractors who supply services to Whyalla's steelworks are owed tens of thousands of dollars by the plant's owner”

I have had similar concerns raised with me on a recent trip to the Upper Spencer Gulf - GFG needs to prioritise paying these contractors

GFG are also delaying the purchase of an Electric Arc Furnace to at least 2027, with a lack of availability and the cost of hydrogen as reasons

Twiggy Forrest has also walked away from his hydrogen ambitions, including those in SA, citing the prohibitive costs

Labor’s costly hydrogen plant is relying on GFG to be an offtake partner for their steelworks

Now we hear the blast furnace is again being shut down, awaiting a shipment of coking coal

In April last year the Premier and Prime Minister gleefully announced the closure of the steelworks coking coal oven

50 staff are losing their jobs with GFG explaining there is an “extended downturn in the steel market globally”

The Premier needs to explain what risks and delays these issues at the Whyalla steelworks pose to Labor’s Stalinist sounding “State Prosperity Project”

Labor is spending millions of taxpayer dollars in advertising this Project to justify spending $700 million of taxpayer’s money on a hydrogen plant that is not targeted at reducing power bills for families.

Whyalla Steelworks