November 26, 2025

Court Ends Fortescue Legal Action Against Element Zero

Statement from Element Zero

Perth, Australia: Element Zero, the developer of a pioneering Australian technology for zero-emission green iron production, has welcomed today’s dismissal of Fortescue’s long-running legal action against the company.

Pursuant to confidential terms of settlement, the Federal Court of Australia today made orders by consent dismissing the claims against Element Zero and its co-founders Mr Michael Masterman, Dr Bart Kolodziejczyk and Dr Bjorn Winther-Jensen.

With no order as to costs and all previous costs orders vacated, the parties will meet their own expenses in relation to the action.

Mr Masterman, the CEO of Element Zero, said the company was extremely pleased with the outcome, which ends nearly two years of uncertainty for Element Zero and its supporters.

“While Element Zero has continued to make significant technical and commercial progress throughout the duration of the matter, we are delighted to put this episode behind us,” Mr Masterman said. “We can now focus all of our deep and capable technical resources on rapidly advancing our iron ore-to-iron technology and developing our manufacturing sites in the Pilbara heartland of Port Hedland and in the US.”

Element Zero’s patented technology uses electro-chemical processes to convert any grade of iron ore into high-purity green iron, with potential applications for other metals such as nickel and lithium. When combined with renewable energy, the process produces zero emissions, putting Australia at the forefront of the global greens metal revolution.

Peter Barrett, the co-founder and general partner of deep tech start-up investor Playground Global, which is a major shareholder in Element Zero, said: “Element Zero is a poster child for Australian innovation: bold, science-led and globally ambitious.

“With this distraction now behind the company, we are excited to see it accelerate into the next phase of growth, helping usher in a new era of clean, resilient and locally enhanced supply chains,” he said. “This is exactly the kind of breakthrough that positions Australia not just as a source of raw materials but as a powerhouse of sustainable industrial technology.”

Media inquiries Clive Mathieson, +61 411 888 425, clive@catoandclive.com

Further information on Element Zero https://elementzero.green/