To support the accelerated growth in this sector, Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) is leading the charge by championing strong investment in Brisbane. Since 2023 this support has been felt by low-carbon steel manufacturer Alter Steel, who is now set to establish the city as the epicentre of Australia’s low-emission construction supply chain.

Setting up shop

Before construction could start on Alter Steel’s vision, logistics had to be considered.

Through consultation, BEDA understood the unique requirements of the business and assisted in securing key project requirements, such as locating industrial land that met utility requirements and finding approximately 500,000 tonnes of scrap metal for their green steel project.

When BEDA introduced Alter Steel to the Port of Brisbane via a 23-hectare site in Pinkenba, the manufacturer knew it had found the ideal location for its operations as well as a key business supporter.

This site is situated within the Australia TradeCoast precinct, the state’s second-largest employment hub and fastest-growing industrial and logistics region, and has set the perfect backdrop for the business to build its low-carbon steel mill that will support the next generation of major construction, transport, residential and infrastructure projects across Greater Brisbane and Queensland.

Choosing Brisbane

Alter Steel had assessed several sites across Australia for the location of a new low-carbon steel mill. Of the cities evaluated, Brisbane ranked highest against the company’s investment criteria, including market demand, supply-chain resilience, access to critical inputs, port and rail infrastructure, proximity to customers and workforce capability.

For a state with a rapidly growing construction pipeline, the project responds to a critical industry challenge. Queensland already uses more than 400,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel each year, and all of the current supply is brought in from interstate or overseas, which is subject to inflated freight costs, lead-time pressures and supply-chain disruption.

Alter Steel’s answer is grounded in the local opportunities within the city that transform Brisbane’s scrap metal into low embodied, carbon-reinforcing steel.

Alter Steel’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Zukerman said that the reception from BEDA and the Port of Brisbane allowed a smooth entry into the state.

“We would not be where we are today without the help and encouragement of the team at BEDA. From the early concept days and initial visits to Brisbane to evaluate potential locations, BEDA has made introductions for us to meet possible partners, suppliers, customers, as well as introductions into government that we value today,” he said.

By locating scrap supply, steelmaking, downstream processing and end-market demand within the same industrial corridor, Alter Steel will be able to reduce transport distances, improve material efficiency, shorten lead times and lower supply-chain emissions.

Cutting edge and low-carbon steel production on our doorstep

As demand for infrastructure grows, supply needs to meet not only the volume required but also the Australian-grade quality and environmental considerations. This means production that considers sustainability, as well as proximity to projects to reduce logistics emissions.

In traditional production of steel, a conventional blast furnace emits 2.2 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of steel.

The advanced technologies adopted by Alter Steel is expected to produce just 0.38 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of steel. This represents an 80% potential reduction and sets a considerable benchmark for reinforcing steel in Australia, as well as the availability of lower-carbon materials across the construction and infrastructure sectors.

With Greater Brisbane and Queensland anticipating continued heavy construction and residential building activity over the next decade, Alter Steel’s introduced local steelmaking capability will support the city’s growth.

Investment in advanced manufacturing locally

Providing the necessary introductions between Alter Steel to government, industry stakeholders, and potential funding partners, BEDA has demonstrated its continued commitment to enabling transformational industrial projects.

BEDA CEO Anthony Ryan said that Alter Steel’s arrival in Brisbane reinforces the growing strength in the city’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem.

“This sector requires not only the talent and infrastructure but the connections to supply chain that advances activity, which is exactly what Brisbane has to offer,” he said.

“Our city’s interconnected resources and infrastructure can be tapped into to generate significant opportunity for local innovation and aspiring businesses like Alter Steel.

Industrial and environmental dividends aren’t the only thing expected to come from the Alter Steel production. The project is expected to deliver a strong local employment opportunities with more than 216 direct jobs planned.

By strengthening domestic low-emissions steelmaking capability, Alter Steel is contributing to Australian steel sovereignty and building new industrial skills, all in Brisbane’s backyard.