Patrick Buchan: Australia's first new steel mill in 30 years

Australia hasn't built a new steel mill in more than 30 years. Greensteel Australia is about to — a $500 million all-electric plant on the old BHP site at Mayfield, producing 600,000 tonnes of rebar a year from the first quarter of 2028. Patrick Buchan, Greensteel's Head of Government Relations, joins James MacDonald on the Danieli technology being built in Italy right now, the policy shift that made onshore steel viable again, why Newcastle beat the rest of the country for the site, and what 200 jobs means for the Hunter.In this episode:The $500 million investment and what it buys — an all-electric mill on Industrial Drive at Mayfield North, the site BHP ran until 1999.Why the technology is the story: an electric arc furnace running at around 1,000 degrees, supplied by Danieli of Italy. "No gas, no flame, no chimneys."600,000 tonnes of rebar a year — the critical input to Australian construction and housing — with a growth path into other steel products.The policy shift: faster approvals, Future Made in Australia incentives, and why both the federal and NSW governments moved.Sovereignty as the argument — oil, steel and microprocessors as the three inputs a country of 28 million can't afford to import.How Greensteel started: owners Meena and Romana Ibrahim couldn't get rebar for their own construction businesses through COVID, so they built a steel company.Why Mayfield — buildings long enough for a 400-metre rolling line, rail, power and roads, and an intergenerational steel skill base.The jobs: 200 direct roles, recruitment opening early 2027, Danieli training included, and no formal-qualification barrier.What's next — a stage two in advanced discussions for another New South Wales site, and a ground-breaking with "a very notable political figure."Patrick Buchan is Head of Government Relations at Greensteel Australia, the company building a $500 million all-electric steel mill at Mayfield in Newcastle — Australia's first new steel plant in more than three decades. Before Greensteel he spent four years on the policy staff of the US Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon, across the Obama and first Trump administrations.Greensteel opens recruitment for the Newcastle mill in early 2027. Patrick Buchan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patrick-buchan-56830b124Chapters0:00 Cold open1:03 Welcome to Engineering in the Hunter1:56 Patrick's path from Canberra to Greensteel3:24 Four years inside the Pentagon6:01 How Australian policy made this possible9:21 The 600,000-tonne rebar plan10:27 Inside the new steelmaking technology14:01 The politics behind the comeback18:43 How Greensteel Australia got started20:29 Greensteel signs the deal21:05 Why Mayfield, Newcastle won the site21:56 Balancing tradition and renewables23:34 The road to 202824:06 200 jobs and an open call for workers26:38 The $500 million investment, by the numbers27:19 How Newcastle is already talking about it28:22 Sovereign manufacturing and sustainability29:48 Australia's first steel plant in 30 years31:39 The trend back to trades32:40 What's next: stage two35:35 On founders and entrepreneurship36:57 On risk, reward, and having a crack38:16 A story about his dad and the cricket39:45 Wrapping upEngineering in the Hunter is hosted by Melinda Sietsma with NTP Talent founder James MacDonald. James hosts this episode. Learn more at ntptalent.com.au.Engineering in the Hunter is produced by Day One®, trusted partners in the technology space and the team that helped build Blackbird Ventures' Wild Hearts. Sister shows include First Cheque, Oversubscribed and In The Blink of AI. Episodes are cross-promoted across the network.