On October 26, the direct-reduction, hot-briquetted-iron (HBI) plant built by Primetals Technologies (London, U.K.; www.primetals.com) and consortium partner Midrex Technologies, Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.; www.midrex.com) was officially started-up in the presence of the voestalpine board after an effective construction phase of about two years. The Midrex direct reduction plant, located near the city of Corpus Christi, Texas on the Gulf of Mexico. It is designed to produce 2 million metric tons (m.t.) of HBI per year, making it the largest single module of this type world-wide. The three-digit million euro range order was awarded to Primetals Technologies and Midrex Technologies Inc. in July 2013.
The consortium of Primetals Technologies and Midrex were responsible for engineering, supply of mechanical and electrical equipment and advisory services for the direct reduction plant. At the site near Corpus Christi in San Patricio County, voestalpine AG (Linz, Austria; www.voestalpine.com) invested a three-digit million euro amount . This also included comprehensive infrastructure improvements for the project location, particularly the necessary port facilities.
The Midrex facility will produce high-quality HBI from iron-ore pellets, which is comparable to the highest quality scrap or pig iron. Being charged to electric-arc furnaces, converters or blast furnaces, HBI allows for the production of highest-quality steel grades. In contrast to the coal-based blast furnaces route, direct reduction only uses natural gas as the reducing agent, which is much more environmentally friendly. This improves the carbon footprint of the voestalpine Group and is an important step in the achievement of the Group’s energy efficiency and climate protection objectives.