Hydrogen-compatible DRI plant at Baowu begins production

The new Energiron DRI plant is the largest in China and the world’s largest hydrogen-compatible facility.

DRI production has commenced at China’s leading steel manufacturer, Baosteel Zhanjiang Iron & Steel (Baowu Group), in Guangdong Province. The new plant is equipped with Energiron’s ZR (Zero Reformer) technology and will produce 1 million tonnes of high-quality DRI using natural gas, coke oven gas and hydrogen, according to Danieli. Baosteel Zhanjiang’s DRI plant is the second Energiron DRI plant in China, following the one at HBIS, which commenced operations in May 2023.

Energiron’s DRI plants are designed to be hybrid-compatible. The DRI pellets produced enable a metallisation rate of up to 96 per cent and a variable carbon content ranging from 0.5 per cent when hydrogen is used extensively to 4.5 per cent when 100 per cent natural gas is used. All Energiron DRI plants are capable of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, as they utilise hydrogen and the CO₂ produced during the reduction process can be captured. Energiron is the DRI technology jointly developed by Tenova and Danieli.

Source: Danieli