Steel is made from good old Iron Ore - which most people in...

Steel is made from good old Iron Ore - which most people in Western Australia will be familiar with.

Steel is made in various ways, usually by blending with a variety of trace metals to make the particular "flavour" of steel that you are after. As I understand it, ALL steel requires the use of coal - a special type of coal, but coal none the less - as coal is the source of carbon that is a critical ingredient.

Making steel without coal would be the context that is discussed by the article you are quoting. I must admit that I haven't given it much thought, but it does sound interesting - albeit that the process will still require some form of fossil fuel to deliver the carbon required to form the steel itself.

Anyway, that's my take on it - but I don't think it will directly involve Rare Earths in any meaningful way.